Roots

I tend to get very annoyed with all the releases stressing western aspects of African music. "Nigeria Disco Funk", "Afro-Rock", various West African Funk compilations and such. I can understand the need for these from an African point of view. But the strange thing is: most of these compilations are put together by western producers, and for a western public.

How does this work?
It's like those people that travel to the other side of the world for an exotic holiday, but take their own local brand of coffee.
Why bother?

So in this post I am sharing with you an African compilation of music from Benin. I find no mention of "funk" or "rock" on the sleeve. And if you ask me, I can only hear music with obvious African roots. With rhythms borrowed from the traditional (vodun and other) music.

Discafric AF 003


PS: apparently the last two tracks on the B-side have been switched around on the sleeve. The last track is clearly Gnonnas Pedro.

The original Gnonnas

I have referred to the subject before, but it's a pity that some of the great artists of Africa only generate 'global' interest -and sometimes even recognition- after they have performed with a western ensemble or have had a record produced by a western producer. One of these great artists (and maybe he is even a Great Artist) is Gnonnas Pedro, of Africando fame - until he died in 2004.

You can read more about him in this interesting post on the "With Comb and Razor" blog. And while you're at it, don't forget to download the last track (or all of the tracks) of the album posted there.

Here is an lp from (I suspect) 1980. The A-side of the album features tracks which have at some point been released on CD (the two Ledoux compilations).
Side B features just one track, "Kalapchap".

As a bonus I add this wonderful single, with an earlier version of "Dark As A Dungeon" (than the one you just downloaded from Comb & Razor), by Gnonnas and his Panchos de Cotonou.