The mystery of the lost mastertapes and my strange grandfather

Daniel Lofredo Rota began unravelling a decades-old family mystery when he found a grimy old suitcase filled with tapes. Inside are songs, secrets and a troubled past.

In 2014, Daniel Lofredo Rota began unravelling a decades-old family mystery when he discovered a battered old suitcase belonging to his very eccentric, late grandfather. Inside was a treasure trove of lost recordings from Caife, a long-defunct record label that captured a golden age of Ecuadorian music. As a DJ and musician himself, Daniel wanted to restore these songs and through them, learn more about his mysterious grandfather. But his investigation would expose a troubled past.

A shorter version of this episode was first broadcast in 2018. Daniel and his family story will be featured in the upcoming podcast series, Caife: the lost sound.

Produced and presented by Maryam Maruf

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

(Photo: Daniel Lofredo Rota. Credit: Daniela Merino Traversari)

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41 minutes

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Tue 30 Aug 202202:06GMT

BBC World Service

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