It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ghanaian artist DJ Katapila, also known as Ishmael Abbey.
The news was shared on social media by Awesome Tapes From Africa, the label that reissued two collections of Abbey’s work in 2016 and 2018.
In a heartfelt post, Brian Shimkovitz, the founder of the imprint, expressed shock and sorrow at the sudden death of Abbey, who was known for his unique blend of traditional Ga music with electronic sounds and influences from house music and Detroit techno.
Abbey, who was born in Accra, showcased his talents not only as a producer and DJ but also as a mobile party-starter. His music often featured his vocals, with rapping in the Twi and Ga languages, combined with elements of sounds from neighbouring West African countries such as Togo and Ivory Coast.
One of Abbey’s most well-known releases, ‘Trotro’, originally came out in the ’90s and was reissued by Awesome Tapes From Africa in 2016. This allowed his work to reach a wider audience beyond Ghana and West Africa, leading to tours in club venues across Europe alongside Shimkovitz.
In 2018, the label released another collection of his work, ‘Aroo’. Abbey’s final release as DJ Katapila was ‘Techno Africa’, which came out in September 2022 through Tash LC’s Club Yeke label.
Abbey’s passing is a great loss to the music community, and our thoughts are with his family, including his young children and his 92-year-old mother.
