Awesome Tapes From Africa (US)

Thursday Sep. 22 – Sting Nere at 01:00

After a stint in Ghana researching the local hip-hop movement, Brooklyn´s Brian Shimkovitz has accumulated hundrets of cassette tapes of rare African music from Zimbabwe to Ethiopia to Senegal. He has been sharing his bounty through his popular blog Awesome Tapes From Africa and his DJ mixes, both of which have been featured in Fader, XLR8R, The Wire, The GUardian and The Village Voice. He quickly realized that most people outside Africa have little or no idea of what life there is actually like, even when it comes to music. Although a small handful of African artists gain exposure outside the continent, much of the music that everyday people listen to at home, work, parties, and in the club remains unreleased in the west.

 

”A good blog is a goldmine.” – Jennifer Allan / The Wire

”Brian Shimkovitz’s awesome tape label is a worthy enterprise. He is not a profiteer. He is simply providing a resource of free music that we would otherwise never hear.”- Andy Moor / The Ex