Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – Vol 3 : The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk

They’ve been described as Africa’s best kept secret, and for 40 years it has been totally true. But since their first Western tour in 2011 (including a gig at the Barbican) and their first album released abroad, something has drastically changed.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou is no more an unearthed treasure, but one of the most sought-after names of the next summer festival season.

Born in 1968, founded by the Melome Clement, or as he was called, the ‘boss’, who sadly passed away less than six months ago, the Beninese ensemble has become an institution in the tiny West African Republic. They can be considered, with good reason, the oldest post-independence African band alive. They’ve performed with the most important African artists like Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti and Angélique Kidjo. And, if that isn’t enough, they are also one of the most prolific bands around, with more than 500 songs, about 50 LPs and countless 45s, which are still unavailable beyond their national borders.

To fill the gap, Analog Africa, the world music label, strictly linked to Western Africa and tropical tunes, has begun a rediscovering of the band’s different sounds. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo’s production has been analysed and split into (for now) three compilations related to three different artistic periods of the band.
After The Vodoun Effect published in 2008, quite visionary and mystical, and after Echos Hypnotiques in 2009, more groovy and rhythmic, it’s the turn of The Skeletal Essence of Afro Funk.

Back on the spiritual steps of the first collection, “Volume 3” sifts once again the material produced from the 1969 to 1983 and recorded with some, old-time but nowadays so valued, raw equipment able to create an unmistakable atmosphere.

The word of Afro Funk is spread one more time, but, next to the uncontrollable tension released, it’s the hypnotic, enchanter beat that put a spell on the listener. The bass, played by Gustave Bentho, towers over the 14 tracks and wraps up the tunes, instilling itself in ‘Houton Kan Do Gome’ and ‘Adjro Mi’. The exceptional percussive skills of Leopold Yehouessi tremble and shake unrelentingly like possessed.

Next to the band’s trademarks, psychedelic sliding guitars played by Maximus Ajanohoun and the insistent and sharp sax of the ‘boss’ refine the Afro-beat plots produced. From the energetic sato beats of ‘N’Goua’ to the Latin oriented pachanga of ‘Vi E Lo’. From the progressive bossa scents of ‘Ecoutes Ma Melodie’ to the more traditional and polyrhythmic fon of ‘Akue We Non Houme’, The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk is a visceral work able to shed light on a hidden but ample culture, unknown to most people.
The powerful culture of voodoo, intense and inscrutable, still intricate for Western societies but deep-rooted in Beninese history as much as its indigenous rhythms.

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NB : (This article was published in May 2013, on http://www.musika.uk.com/, by Marco Canepari]