Traditional music and dance
As in many areas of the African continent, traditional music and dance play an essential role in the daily life of the Beninese. Although born during the different reigns of Dahomey, these traditions have not aged, so to speak, and are still practiced by the 46 ethnic groups that inhabit Benin. One of the most common traditional aesthetics is by far the zinli. Originally a funerary rhythm native to the Plateau, this style played with a large drum, a gong, and clapping became popular music in the hands of the legendary artist Alèpkéhanhou. Considered the "king of zinli ", he transcends genres and remains today one of the most important (and prolific) musical personalities in the country. Let's also mention Yedénou Adjahoui who is considered by many to be a precursor of zinli, although he is best remembered as a great innovator of massè gohoun, a modern rhythm inspired by the traditional massé, very festive. Dossou Letriki is the other great master of massè gohoun
.Also in the Plateau region, one can encounter theakohoun, a traditional rhythm specific to the Adjranou community performed on happy occasions such as weddings or birthdays and accompanied by essentially male dances where the protagonists clap their hands on their chest. In the Plateau region, the kpanouhoun
is a festive rhythm, reserved exclusively for women, characterized by the sound of drums and plates.In the Collines region - and more particularly in Savalou - the tchinkoumè can be heard. A cousin of the zinli, from which it undoubtedly draws its inspiration, this rhythm of funerary origin is played with a gota, a calabash tree emptied of its fruit, bell gongs, maracas and two inverted calabashes. The genre was first popularized by Alokpon in the 1970s before being modernized in the 1980s by Stan Tohon and his " Tchink System . It is this formula that allowed him to become one of the most emblematic figures of the country. It is more than advisable to listen to his hit Yallow to grasp all the fever and power of the Tchink System. Today, it is Gbézé who is considered the guardian of the tchinkoumè
.Less well known outside Benin, it would be unfair not to mention musical and choreographic traditions such as the guélédé, a masked Yoruba ceremony that takes place at the end of the harvest, the tipenti, a male dance, also agricultural, from the Otamari ethnic group, the tèkè also known as the "dance of the stick", the kunya, a traditional dance of the Waama people, exclusively feminine and performed topless, or the toba
celebration dance.Among the traditional artists to know, Gbessi Zolawadji, from the Ouidah region, is a must. His songs, frankly joyful, inspired by the agbadja
rhythm, are frequently broadcast by Beninese radio stations. Another agbadja innovator, Gnonnas Pedro, is best known as a salsa singer. The namesake dance is particularly energetic and involves strong shoulder movements. The last national figure, Sagbohan Danialou, is as much inspired by traditional Vodoun rhythms as by jazz. A true one-man band emblematic of the country, he was invited to perform at the Quai Branly Museum in October 2021 when France returned 26 works to Benin.To save this intangible heritage, and keep its impact on society intact, national institutions such as the Conservatoire de Danses Ceremonielles et Royales d'Abomey (CDCRA) protect and promote this heritage. Students of the CDCRA perform from time to time in the country, a good opportunity to get an overview of Beninese traditions on stage.
In Porto Novo, concerts of Beninese music are frequently organized at the Place Bayol and on the esplanade of the Assembly as well as at the Ouadada Cultural Center in the Tokpota district.Popular music
The first musicians to be recognized on the national scene emerged in the 1960s. Inspired by traditions, they achieved a certain fame by giving a modern and international interpretation to Beninese aesthetics. This is one of the reasons why Angélique Kidjo, possibly the most famous Beninese artist in the world, has achieved such success. Born in Ouidah, she now resides in the United States, but has not forgotten her origins. A mix of traditional music and colors from around the world, her entire body of work seems to be a tribute to the music that rocked her Beninese childhood. Never short of inspiration, Angélique Kidjo released her 18th album in 2021. In the bosom of this Beninese queen is Anna Teko, who made a name for herself by singing covers of Angélique Kidjo before making a name for herself. Great national voice of gospel music, Anna Teko has become one of the references of the Beninese musical landscape in some thirty years of career.
Legend still: nicknamed the "Georges Brassens of Dahomey", Gustave Gbénou Vikey alias GG Vikey was not only a singer, but also a great lyricist who wrote an impressive number of songs. These songs, composed in the 1950s and 1960s, still shine today by their amazing relevance. Another important personality of Beninese music, Nel Oliver is perhaps the most flamboyant. He is perhaps the most American of them all because he often sings in English and his music flirts with genres such as funk and soul. A hybrid aesthetic somewhere between tradition - like the Yoruba akpala - and Afro-funk, jazz, rock, or reggae. Let's not forget to mention the fabulous Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. Created in 1966, inspired by funk, the group became one of the most popular in French-speaking Africa, composing more than 500 songs and about fifty albums in which they forged their unique style, which includes soukous and Afro-Latin music. Forgotten in the 1980s, a series of compilation albums put them back in the spotlight in the 2000s and sent them to the stages of the world. If their success remains confined to a niche audience, fans of the Cotonou Poly-Rythmo Orchestra can now be found all over the world.Current music
Benin is a stable country with a dynamic cultural policy, and has a young, almost abundant scene that has a real penchant for jazz. For example, some big names like guitarist Lionel Loueké (collaborator of Avishai Cohen or Herbie Hancock) or pianist Tchangodei - that music lovers in Lyon know well since he opened the Bec de Jazz in the capital of the Gaules - are from Benin. Jazz can also be found in popular groups such as Fâ, which mixes the genre with traditional African rhythms, as well as the Gangbé Brass Band, which even includes voodoo rhythms, or the Fanfare Eyo'nlé, which plays music steeped in the rhythms of the southeast of the country. The latest sensation, Star Feminine Band, has made a big splash in the French press (perhaps because the group is signed to Born Bad, a French label). Made up of seven girls between the ages of 10 and 17, Star Feminine Band links rock, pop, highlife, Congolese rumba and Beninese sato while seeking to promote gender equality in Benin - and the world. The future of Beninese music is feminine.
In Cotonou, the Jammin Bar and its relaxed atmosphere as well as the French Institute are great places to attend concerts.
