• ENG
  • SPA
The Walter Gavitt Ferguson Tape Hunt
  • Home
  • The Tape Hunt
  • Media Echo
  • Wa 'apin?
  • Tape Hunt Releases
  • Join the Hunt
  • Contact
  • Wanted!
  • Links

Why a Tape Hunt?

December 31, 2017 at 11:30 pm, No comments

Why a "Tape Hunt"?

The lost Calypsos: 98-year old Walter Ferguson has composed an estimated 150 to 200 Calypsos in his life, but never wrote down scores nor lyrics. On his official recordings, only about 40 compositions have been recorded. With age he started to forget his older compositions and nowadays he can't recall great portions of his repertoire, meaning that many of his songs have probably been lost already.                                       

The good news: Between the late 1970ies and the end of the 1990ies he did record himself on Compact Audio Cassettes, selling these to fans and tourists in Cahuita, or giving them away to friends. In those 25 years of "home recording" he must have recorded well over hundred such tapes, spreading his music to the four corners of the world. Because he has never made any copies, every tape actually features a unique, original recording session, probably containing some of his old songs that need to be saved from oblivion. 

The bad news: Nobody knows where these tapes are today, or how many have survived... and even if they still exist they risk to get damaged by deterioration. 


Our project aims at finding those unique tapes by spreading the word online and restoring/saving them for the future.


No comments

Leave a reply







Recent Posts

  • Don Walter & Tape Hunt in ARTE TV Report
    10. Nov. 2024
  • Buen viaje maestro!
    27. Feb. 2023
  • Don Walter & Tape Hunt covered by in-flight mag of United Airlines
    29. Nov. 2022
  • RAW PLEASURES - Straight from the Legendary Tapes 1980-1995
    31. Aug. 2022
  • Walter Ferguson's musical legacy donated to the Biblioteca Nacional
    24. Jun. 2022
  • Radio show in Buenos Aires celebrates Don Walter
    24. May. 2022
  • On Don Walter's 103rd birthday we share a rare version of "Callaloo"
    7. May. 2022

Wa' apin, man? What happened? 



Recovered treasures

In 2017, nine original tapes were located in Canada: 

In 2018, six original tapes were found in Costa Rica: 

In March 2019, five original tapes were recovered in the USA:

In May 2019, unreleased parts from Don Walter's "Folkways" album were donated to the Tape Hunt:

In January 2020, another five original tapes were found in Costa Rica:

In October 2020, the biggest catch containing 45 original tapes was unearthed in Costa Rica:

In September 2021, another original tape was found in the USA: 


Available music albums

Currently Vol. 1 & 2 of the "Legendary Tape Recordings" are available - containing 30 previously unreleased Calypso treasures rescued by the Tape Hunt. 

Also available: Benefit album "Keep The Cabin Above The Wata" with Tape Hunt versions of his favourite calypsos. 

Enjoy it on Spotify or Apple music

 

Created with Mozello - the world's easiest to use website builder.

Create your website or online store with Mozello

Quickly, easily, without programming.

Report abuse Learn more