De Frank Kakra Finding De Frank

Egya na ɛma ɔkoto yɛ oburoni
Ɛkaa akyekyedee a, anka ohuriye enni mogya
PREFACE:
I first heard De Frank Kakra in 2016 on a highlife compilation I came across during my travels. His music revived a long lost sense of joy and curiosity, lifting me out of a profound state of depression and silence.
I had to know, who was De Frank? And where is he now?
It is only with sincere intent to thank him, his family, and the numerous musicians and labels that worked with him that I dedicate this chapter of my life.
I hope sharing De Frank’s music with the world will help me find him and bring to others the joy his music has brought to me.
Thank you to those taking part in this journey.
-Sylvain Thierry Jean Peltzer
LINER NOTES:
Not much is known about the artist known as De Frank Kakra—much less his birth name or his whereabouts. 'Kakra' in the local dialect of Asante Twi is often used to refer to the younger of twin brothers. However, digging deeper into his story we uncover a man of Ewe roots.
A few liner notes scattered across his records offer glimpses into his career as a backup vocalist and percussionist, recording and performing with prominent highlife musicians throughout the gold coast of Africa in the 1970's. Most notable was his involvement with the Cubano Fiestas, the stage and studio musicians for K. Frimpong. Many of these musicians were also members of the Vis-A-Vis band credited on his first albums.
Eventually finding his solo voice, De Frank formed his own bands consisting of several of these musicians. With the renowned guitarist Sammy Copper by his side, The Professionals and The Diggit Ways recorded albums with labels across Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast—records we've unearthed, remastered, and compiled into the debut release of our label.
While rumors from Hamburg to Hawaii have circulated, our research objective is to verify several findings we have made about his life while producing this record. We invite those interested in his story to support the past and present labels that have released his work; notably Ride Away, Dr. Nyarko & Sons, Homzy Records, Bowo, SID, Analog Africa and Oriki Music, as well as the families and musicians he worked with who are still with us today.
REMASTERS:
Along with the research, a considerable amount of attention was given to the remastering of this project. With Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, we are able to bring De Frank Kakra back to life. Creating a cohesive listening experience for a compilation using recordings from different studios, pressing plants, and mixing and mastering techniques demands both technical expertise and artistic sensitivity. Our objective here was to preserve the integrity of the original music as intended by the artists while producing a record that resonates with audiophiles and dance-floors alike.
Thank you for supporting our very first project.