Description
Lost sounds are the archives of a forgotten history. The raucously raw, Vodoun-inspired rhythms of Cotonou have confirmed Benin as a mecca of 70s Afro sounds and revived the story of its people, but the unopened vaults housing the country's catacombs of musical riches are endless. With this as our compass, Analog Africa charters its fifth expedition to Benin, traveling far north to delve deeper into the obscured repertoires and tales of the Bariba and Dendi people.
Originating from the Kwara state of northwest Nigeria, the Bariba - a predominantly Islamic people - now dominate the Borgou department of Benin with the market city of Parakou at its heart. The rhythms of their culture constitute just one domain of the Islamic Funk Belt - a distinct musical swath of land encompaThe birth of modern African music in Parakou is inextricably linked to Super Borgou. The progressive-minded father of the band's founder, Moussa Mama, imported modern music - which he learned while working as a goldsmith in Accra, Ghana - to the region in the 50s. His return to Borgou and subsequent teachings spawned countless bands from villages across the departmentssing northern Ghana, Togo and Benin.
With Benin's foremost drummer, Bori Borro, in their ranks, Bariba and Dendi linguistic folklore - alongside melodies of an Islamic ilk - fused with Soul, Pachanga, Breakbeats, Rumba and Afro-Beat, Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou manufactured a sound of penetrating and unpolished directness, blurring the line between the erstwhile rhythms of the devout village and the modern grooves infecting the forward-thinking city. Their reinvention redefines what contemporary audiences classify as the "Afro" genre.
