Album review

Various Artists

Legends of Benin

added: 1 Jun 2009 // release date: 15 Jun 2009 // label: Analog Africa
reviewer: Andy Snipper

Samy Ben Redjeb has the best job in the world. He gets to go around countries like Benin and unearth the magical music that was laid down across Africa in the seventies and eighties.

As soon as I see the Analog Africa logo my heart lightens and my senses settle down for a new treat and now we are at volume 5 and there has been no let up in the stream of quality music – on the contrary, this might be as good as anything they have released before.

The music is a mix of Afro-Funk, Cavacha, Agbadja, Psych and Afro-Beat and the rhythms and playing are as infectious and arresting as ever. The horn playing is a celebration and the guitar playing is staccato and funky while the massed percussion combines all the best elements of traditional and disco/funk drumming as well as latin and bossa nova. Albeit almost entirely in French or Beninese, the vocals are joyful call and response as well as some arresting individual performances but it is as a whole that the music needs to be ’dug’ and from the reedy organ sound to the basslines that don’t quit and the Latina horns and the massed ensemble of players this is just 'the nuts’.

I defy you to listen and not be moved, to not get into the groove of 'Ya Mi Ton Gbo’ or the reggae-esque 'Nou Akuenon 'Hwlin Me Sin Koussio’ and the thought of sitting to listen to 'Tin Lin Non’ is as improbable as the basso profundo vocals and the psych piano over makossa drums and voudou shouts.

Yet again Analog Africa has offered up some awesome and utterly danceable music and the booklet that accompanies this celebrates some highly dubious and very colourful characters; Antoine Dougbe is a Voudon Priest and calls himself 'The Devil’s Prime Minister’ while El Rego has gotten bored with being mayor of Cocotomey and now runs a brothel in Cotonou!

This is available on vinyl as well as CD and the sound of the black stuff is incredible considering the lo-fi origins of some of this material.

What a package!

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