Traditional music and dance
In Togo, traditional music and dance are often one and the same, serving as both an essential instrument for initiation rites and a vehicle for the values of the various ethnic groups. The two most important linguistic groups are the Adja-Ewe in the south (about 44% of the population) and the Kabyé-Tem in the north (26.7%). Among the latter, the Kabyé, dances and songs are expressed particularly during rites such as the Evala, which has become a cultural festival marking the passage from adolescence to adulthood. Usually held in mid-July, it is during these traditional celebrations - the most important summer event in the country - that the famous Kabye duel fights take place. It is an opportunity for young evaluators to demonstrate their power. Other initiation rites of the Kabyé, the Kondonna, for young men, and the Akpema for young women are accompanied by music composed by the griots.
It is also among the Kabyé that we find some of the most remarkable choreographic expressions of the country such as the so, habyé or tchemou. The so dances pay homage to the dead and the ancestors, accompanied by traditional groups playing percussion. The habyé dance expresses power and bravery. This dance of the sorcerers takes place every five years and allows to demonstrate all its mystical strength. Finally, the tchemou dance is organized by the parents and precedes the marriage of a young girl.
Among the Ewe, a frequent practice sees two families or clans settle their differences through songs composed by the griots of both sides. Mocking the faults and shortcomings of the opposing side, this song is usually sung during celebrations and calls for a response from the opponent. Sometimes these songs become part of the popular repertoire and cross generations. It thus becomes a vehicle for the history of a community through time.
In terms of dance, the Ewe practice the agbadja, originally a warrior dance, which starts slowly and lightly to gain in energy and intensity with large shoulder movements.
Among the Bassar people, there is the tibol, a ritual "fire dance" in which the values of the community are transmitted, danced barefoot in the flames. Within the same community, there is also the krounima, a dance of virgins.
Finally, the Ifè people dance the tchebe, known for being performed on long stilts.
Musical instruments vary from region to region, but on the whole, castanets of some sort are often heard in dances such as the kamou or so, and drums are particularly important in the Ewe culture.
Among the recognized traditional artists is the famous griot of Pagouda. A colorful character with both a national and international reputation, he can be seen more or less all the time in Pagouda, dressed in traditional clothes and ready to play his one-string guitar. In the same spirit, the Black Griots of Togo seek to breathe new life into the local culture by mixing the traditional and the modern in their creations. Les Griots noirs du Togo includes a theater company, Les Messagers du temps, a traditional dance company, Les Nomades, a group of painters, La Plume, and a salsa music group, Les Gedeawo.Popular music
Immense talent disappeared too early, Bella Bellow is a Togolese legend. The most famous musician of the country, the one who was often compared to Miriam Makeba had a rise as important as fast, playing on prestigious internationals as the Olympia or gigantic as the Maracana stadium in Rio. Before disappearing at the age of 27 in a car accident, Bella Bellow left an indelible mark on Togolese music with a mixture of blues, soul and funk and an inimitable voice. Among her worthy heirs, Afia Mala is another of the great stars of Togolese music.
Nicknamed the "Princess of the Mono River", Afia Mala turned away from her career as a lawyer to devote herself to music, which she has performed on stages around the world. Able to sing in several languages - including Ewe, Yoruba, Swahili, Lingala, French and Spanish - Afia uses her voice as a real instrument with mastery. Finally, Jimi Hope is a rock idol for the Togolese. Known for his committed lyrics and innovative style, he is often considered among the best rockers on the continent.
More recently, a staple of Togolese music is by far King Mensah. A student of the National Ballet at the age of 10, he traveled and dabbled in everything - song, dance, literature, comedy - before attaining the status of Togolese music's troublemaker that he is known for today. King Mensah has risen to the throne thanks to a fusion music, combining traditional and modern music, inspired by gazo, agbadja or kamou.
Lately, one of the last great cartoons of Togo is called Toofan. Author of a music to dance all in good mood and tonicity, mixture of rumba, rap and electro, the group has chained the hits which conquered the heart of thousands of Togolese as Happy New Year, Hawks Obragada or Gweta whose dance clip became viral.Current music
In the 1990s, Togo, like many countries around the world, saw the emergence of a local hip-hop scene. Used here as a catharsis for the political, social and economic problems that divide the country, Togolese hip-hop blends American influences with traditional local music. This is particularly present in the music of one of the genre's stars, Mic Flammez, who uses kamou and tchimou rhythms to give it another dimension. Clearly one of the most prominent rappers, he is the worthy heir of Eric MC, the pioneer of Togolese rap. The hip-hop of the country owes him a lot as Ayaovi Eric Mensah, his real name, has worked for the development of the genre in Togo. An adventurer with a passion for music, he decided in the 1980s to leave for Lagos to train as a disc jockey at Jat Sound Studio. Returning to Togo in 1990, he created The King Sound Studio, the first rap school in Togo, which later became the root of the Togolese hip-hop movement. His unique status allowed him to rub shoulders with well-known rappers such as MC Solaar, whose opening act he was in Lomé in 1992. For many, he remains the best rapper in Togo.
Other artists to watch out for include Vicky Bila, a crystalline soprano in love with jazz and soul, Alister G., a very popular voice in Afro-R&B soul, and Hot Casa Records. If this label is French, it produces a lot of jazz and afro-soul artists from Togo. For example, it publishes the albums of the Franco-Togolese group Vaudou Game, led by the inarticulate Peter Solo, and reissues Itadi and Roger Damawuzan, the "James Brown of Togo". Passionate about the country, Julien Lebrun, one of the founders of Hot Casa, shot the documentary Togo Soul 70 in 2016, tracing the golden age of music in Togo from 1970 to 1980. This thorough research work resulted in a compilation, Togo 70
, packed with Togolese rarities from the 1970s. A must listen! In Lomé, there is no shortage of opportunities to see good concerts. There are concerts every weekend at the trendy Refuge International, as well as at the famous Goethe Institute and the French Institute, which, as in many cities around the world, also frequently program good concerts here.
