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Some best-kept secrets are worth revealing, and the eternal youth of the
legendary Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou is just one of those hidden
treasures. The West African band offered 43 years of an exquisite groove, a
home made voodoo funk, “Made in Bénin”, that conquered Nigeria, Togo, Niger
Angola, and much of West Africa where the band played with Manu Dibango,
Fela, and Gnonnas Pedro. And, despite their age, they are still on shape!
Down the years, Poly-Rythmo stunned the market of connoisseurs, deejays and
aficionados with their pure African funky sound. But they never had a chance to
take their music out of Africa. That oversight is about to end. In 2009 the
founding members of the band performed in Europe with guests from Africa’s
pantheon of international stars, starting with the opening of the great Jazz A La
Villette Festival in Paris in September staring in a special African night, also
featuring Seun Kuti and Amadou and Mariam. Their great first European tour
passed by Paradiso Amsterdam, Barbican London, Utrecht, Andverpen, ending
with great show in collaboration with Franz Ferdinand musicians in Marseille...
From the start, the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou swept away
the tiny nation of Benin, sandwiched between Ghana and Nigeria, with their
music. Their voices, brass section, guitar and percussion weaved together to
crystallise a golden age in this nation of 8 million souls. Under the eccentric
reign of Mathieu Kérékou, their irresistible Afro-funk lit up the mornings on
national radio - despite reflecting as much an unbridled admiration for the
marathon funk jams of James Brown, or the singing of Dalida and Johnny
Haliday, as the frenetic urban sounds of Cotonou.
Drawing from one of the richest cultural melting pots in the world, the
band has recorded over 500 songs, and become Benin’s most identifiable name.
Their music is also deeply anchored in voodoo music, principally the Sato
rhythms, beat out by an immense vertical drum and the Sakpata, which is
devoted to the voodoo divinity protecting people from smallpox.
What marks out Orchestre is its ability to modernise these vibrant
traditional rhythms by integrating psychedelic guitar riffs, unreal organ
harmonies, funk and soul. The result is a thrillingly hectic music that has been
given new life last year thanks to the labours of the Frankfurt based label Analog
Africa, which is devoted to the rediscovery of the musical repertoire of the
1970s in Africa’s major cities.
Like many others fans in England, Germany and New York, (including
David Byrne and the owners of the label Soundway), Elodie Maillot, a French
journalist, travelled to Benin in 2007 to track down those African legends. As a
reporter who has crisscrossed the world as part of her work in the world music
genre for Radio France and Vibrations magazine, she was gripped by Poly-
Rythmo’s vibrant energy and their love for the radio!
After enjoying a fruitful interview of the band-members and watching an
impressive live performance by Poly-Rythmo for Benin’s National Day in
Abomey (former capital of Dahomey), Maillot agreed to make a dream come
true for the band: embark on perhaps their most exciting musical adventure, and
bring these rare and raw grooves out of West African to stages throughout
Europe!
A bit of background
Unfortunately political realities in Benin had left the Tout Puissant
Orchestre Poly Rythmo bereft of international recognition, while big bands like
Super Rail Band or Orchestra Baobab enjoyed a rebirth… But Poly Rythmo has
always been recognised as one of the best orchestras in Africa, so much that the
former leader of Super Rail Band in Bamako, Tidiani Kone, left his job in Mali
to join the fabulous Poly Rythmo in the seventies.
Despite the recent tragic losses of Papillon, Kone, and Lohento Eskill, the
founding bandleader Mélomé Clément has brought together the pillars of this
seminal band, who released more than 500 tracks. Their repertoire draws
inspiration from the regional poly-rhythmic blend called Sato or Sakpata,
original Voodoo beats, which are married with the funk left behind by James
Brown’s African tours.
In returning frequently to Benin, Maillot has found the material and
means to take the band on a similar journey to the one that brought Cuba’s
Buena Vista Social Club to world attention. Crucially, she has persuaded the cult
singer of the seventies, the high-wire Vincent Ahehehinnou, to rejoin the ten
musicians of the Orchestre he sang for with such success 25 years ago.
From the start, the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou captivated
Benin with their music. Their voices, brass section, guitar and percussion
weaved together to crystallise a golden age in this musically-fertile nation.
What marks out Poly-Rythmo is its ability to modernise these vibrant
traditional rhythms by integrating psychedelic guitar riffs, unreal organ
harmonies, funk and soul. The result is a thrillingly hectic music that has been
given new life thanks to the labours of the Frankfurt based label Analog Africa,
which is devoted to the rediscovery of the musical repertoire of the 1970s in
Africa’s major cities.
Impressed by the prolific output of Poly-Rythmo and the band’s ability to
sing in Fon, Yoruba, Mina and French, the label released the 2008 album The
Vodoun effect 1972-1975 and the highly-appreciated compilation African
Scream Contest. The latter, 14 classics from Benin’s Golden Age, includes the
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou’s big hit “Gbeti Madjro”. Nowadays, it
sounds as fresh as when it was written. That single, incidentally, created
something of a revolution in Benin’s music scene and brought the band to the
attention of Fela Kuti.
Ironically, few of the musicians that have graced the Orchestre Poly
Rythmo since it began in 1966 are professionally trained. They draw inspiration
from a heritage that is rooted on Benin’s Atlantic Coast, where the Agoudas
live. This ethno-linguistic group are descendants of former Brazilian slaves who
returned to West Africa at the end of the 19th century, bringing back protosamba
songs and dances that impregnated the local traditions.
The Orchestre has been able to mix this heritage with a fascination for
African American funk, Latin grooves and the home-grown rhythms that
punctuate voodoo ceremonies. Most of their marvelous songs were recorded live
with a couple of microphones and a Swiss-made Nagra reel-to-reel tape
machine. The studio was a living room in the noisy neighbourhood near
Cotonou’s airport.
Such careers are the stuff of legends - and these legends deserve to fly out
of Africa!
The “Papys Groovy”, as they are now called in Cotonou, are back on the
road and will release a new album (featuring Franz Ferdinand musicians and
Angelique Kidjo) early 2011.
"This is music for people who want to dance to this raw mix of horns,
guitar, organ on a driving bedrock of bass and drums. It’s amazing
where all this brilliant music keeps coming from but you end up
wondering how you’ve not come across it before." - Worldmusic.
"And if you've wondered what James Brown-inspired Seventies
floor-fillers from the home of voodoo sound like, well, they're not
kidding about the 'Poly-rythmo' bit." - The Guardian
“At times the funk turns into hypnosis, and the rest is unstoppable
dance music.” - New York Times
"Essential listening." - Gilles Petterson
"We are huge fans of this Beninese band. They have such a special
sound, funky, soul and so voodoo !" - Nick McCarthy, guitarist in the Franz Ferdinand Band.