Ghanaian artist DJ Katapila, real name Ishmael Abbey, has died.

The news was confirmed in a social media post on Friday (26th January) by Awesome Tapes From Africa, the label that reissued two collections of Abbey’s work in 2016 and 2018.

“I’m shocked and heartbroken to be announcing the sudden death of our friend and collaborator Ishmael Abbey, better known worldwide as DJ Katapila,” the post written by the imprint’s founder, Brian Shimkovitz, read.

It continued: “The inimitable producer, DJ and mobile party-starter passed away Sunday morning [21st January] at home from a brief illness. He leaves behind a loving family, including his young daughter and son, and his 92-year-old mother.”

Born in Accra, Abbey was known initially in Ghana for his interpretation of the country’s traditional Ga music, which saw him use electronic sounds and instruments, rather than live percussion, to produce a new sound influenced by house music and Detroit techno.

He also included his vocals on a number of his tracks, often rapping in the Twi and Ga languages, while folding in elements of sounds from neighbouring West African countries such as Togo and Ivory Coast.

‘Trotro’, originally released in the ’90s, was perhaps Abbey’s best-known release and was reissued by Awesome Tapes From Africa in 2016. That reissue saw his work come to wider attention outside of Ghana and West Africa.

Following that reissue, Abbey toured many club venues around Europe alongside Shimkovitz, and the label also issued another collection of his work, ‘Aroo’, in 2018.

Abbey’s final release as DJ Katapila came via Tash LC’s Club Yeke label, which put out ‘Techno Africa’ in September 2022.

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