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Product Description
Review
Legends Of Benin comprised of fast-paced Afro Latin funk rhythms has been carefully selected by Ben Redjeb. Spanning four genres and three decades, the album highlights the work of four of Benin's great musicians: Gnonnas Pedro, Antoine Dougbe, El Rego and Honoré Avolonto. Each adds a unique vibrancy to the album, contrasting with and complimenting each other.
Traditional rhythms form the base of many of the tracks, Gnonnas Pedro's Abadja Rhythms underscore Okpo Videa Bassouo, while Antoine Dougbe's music combines Vodoun and Congolese rhythms in the 'Afro Cavacha' style he pioneered. His track Ya Mi Ton Gbo is one of the funkiest tracks here. Legendary percussionist and composer Honoré Avolonto offers some of the grittiest music on the album. His style, similar in parts to Fela Kuti, is enormously energetic.
The album leaps from Afro-funk to Afrobeat to Soul to Cavacha seamlessly. This variety has a lot to do with when the music was recorded: the 70s was a politically turbulent decade for Benin, reflected in the raw unrelenting beats.
Legends Of Benin is praiseworthy for contextualizing Benin's contribution to Afrobeat and African music as a whole. --Johnny Lais
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CD Description
Legends of Benin is a collection of extremely rare and highly danceable masterpieces recorded between 1969 and 1981 by four legendary composers from Benin - Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Dadjes, Antoine Dougbé, El Rego et Ses Commandos and Honoré Avolonto - each one of them with their own distinctive sound.
Following on from the compilation African Scream Contest - Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin and Togo 70s and Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou’s The Vodoun Effect (Vol.1) this new Analog Africa release continues to unearth incredible Beninese music, once again lovingly compiled by label boss and vinyl collector Samy Ben Redjeb.
Following on from the compilation African Scream Contest - Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin and Togo 70s and Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou’s The Vodoun Effect (Vol.1) this new Analog Africa release continues to unearth incredible Beninese music, once again lovingly compiled by label boss and vinyl collector Samy Ben Redjeb.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Another real peach from the amazing Analog Africa label. Togheter with "African
Scream Contest" they are responsible for 2 two of the best afrobeat/funk
compilations ever released.
Highlites include El Rego's "E Nan Mian Nuku", a song that sounds like nothing else,
carried by one of the sweetest grooves I've ever heard and Antoine Dougbe's
"Nou Akuenon Hwlin Me Sin Koussio", which is rightly hailed as an african reggae
masterpiece.
As always with Analog Africa, you get a great booklet in addition to the music, and
it's a very good read, with lots of interesting background stuff, interviews and
some funny anecdotes.
If you dig Fela Kuti, James Brown, Tony Allen, Funk and Afrobeat, then this GOT TO
be your bag. And while your're at it, get "African Scream Contest", and both volumes
with the stunning Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.
Scream Contest" they are responsible for 2 two of the best afrobeat/funk
compilations ever released.
Highlites include El Rego's "E Nan Mian Nuku", a song that sounds like nothing else,
carried by one of the sweetest grooves I've ever heard and Antoine Dougbe's
"Nou Akuenon Hwlin Me Sin Koussio", which is rightly hailed as an african reggae
masterpiece.
As always with Analog Africa, you get a great booklet in addition to the music, and
it's a very good read, with lots of interesting background stuff, interviews and
some funny anecdotes.
If you dig Fela Kuti, James Brown, Tony Allen, Funk and Afrobeat, then this GOT TO
be your bag. And while your're at it, get "African Scream Contest", and both volumes
with the stunning Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Another absolutely brilliant release from the increasingly superb 'Analog Africa' label. I first heard their 'African Scream Contest' album, this one is less rocky and more funky - very rhythmic, trancy big band tunes with lots of attitude. The personalities of the 'Legends of Benin' really grab you - it did take a little while to familiarise myself with the tunes but now I've had this on my mp3 player & stereo for a couple of weeks. Very highly recommended.
Format:Audio CD
This is one gem of a compilation. It introduces to African music fans, new sounds from an old era and, from a musical standpoint, a relatively unknown region in Africa - Benin , possibly with the exception of Beninoise singer Angelique Kidjo who has reached an icon status in Africa..Through a thorough and time consuming research some very rare and wonderful music from the 60's and 70's by Beninois groups has been put together on this CD.. Having read about Gnonnas Pedro on reference materials and not been able to get it anywhere I was very excited when I first saw the album on Amazon and was richly rewarded for purchasing it. The music is energetic and enjoyable, the sound is sophisticated and shows a great deal of variety...You will find familiar sounds in the CD as the selected bands have been very open to influences from different types of music and have easily blended such influences with local sounds...I do not wish to pass judgment on an entire era of music in Benin but I dare say I personally enjoyed the end result .
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