About Afrodisia

Afrodisia began as a doodle of a logo on the desk of Dave Bennett the Decca West Africa sales manager in 1972. Rising star, Dave had been employed by the then mighty Decca group. He considered the time was right for a African record label free from the planning, branding and reach of London. Dave designed the distinctive logo and typeface with press agent John Carr. Graphical star of the logo was John’s South African wife, Daphne Carr. The music soon followed and the first full Afrodisia release was Ofo and Black Company with the “Allah Wakbarr”.

Music for the label was recorded in the well-equipped Decca West Africa studios in Yaba near Lagos University. Its 16 track Neve desk/Studer tape being in use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Artists such as The Oriental Brothers, Fela Kuti, The Lijadu Sisters, Blo, Christy Essien and Bunzu Sounds became part of a West African musical explosion. The growing wealth of the region led a demand for recorded music that saw typical pressing runs of each title where usually in excess of 200,000 units.

Nigerian indigenization decrees of 1972 and 1977 led to shareholdings by both Decca West Africa and local Nigerian owners including Chief Moshood Abiola and later on band-leader-musician Ebenezer Obey. In 1980 the group reorganized leaving a 100% Nigerian local entity Afrodisia Ltd retaining the rights for Nigeria. The DWA Group purchased the rights for all recordings outside of Nigeria.


Decca West Africa and Afrodisia are registered trademarks of the DWA Group.
www.deccawestafrica.com / DWA Group