Dakar, Senegal
In 2013, on a visit to my stepdad, I stumbled upon a blog post about a Dakar based record label that was releasing remastered West-African mono recordings. After a quick google I found their website and a Senegalese phone number and keen to bring home some vinyl I dialed the number.
"In the 70’s the music in Africa & Senegal in particular acquired an identity & it was this hybrid of African rhythms played with the western sound of the ’60s that was magic."
— Adamantios Kafetzis
Adamantios
The voice on the other end was Adamantios, a Greek music lover who had spent over 10 years coming to Africa driven by its culture and music. He invited me to an multi-disciplinary event where art, music and fashion was at play.
"For me this kind of music reached the highest level in quality globally, it is the most complete music ever produced in the history of humanity, not only in Senegal but in Mali, Guinea, Congo, Ethiopia."
— Adamantios Kafetzis
History
Adamantios started collecting records when he was 10, starting out with heavy metal, just like his age mates. Over time his musical taste evolved and he found himself more and more drawn to the sounds of Africa. On one of his trip to West-Africa, he heard about a Senegalese sound engineer who had recorded numerous artists in the past. After his death these historical recordings had been collecting dust for years.
"I try to keep the sound faithful (as much as possible) to how it was played at the time."
— Adamantios Kafetzis
Forgotten Gems
Teranga Beat is trying to breath new life into these long-forgotten musical gems. Make sure to check out his website for info on new releases.