In the 1970s, a band in Cotonou recorded hundreds of songs in a small studio, blending the rhythms of vodun ceremonies with American funk and Nigerian Afrobeat. For decades, their records were known mostly in West Africa. Then collectors in Europe found them.
Founded in 1968
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou was formed by bandleader Mélomé Clément in 1968, originally under the name Orchestre Poly-Disco, in the coastal city of Cotonou, Benin.
Tout Puissant
The band is also known by the title “Tout Puissant”, French for “All Powerful”. The name reflected their confidence and their reputation as one of the tightest dance bands in the region.
The sound
Poly-Rythmo’s music drew on Beninese traditional rhythms, including those of vodun, and mixed them with funk, soul, jazz, highlife and Afrobeat. The result was hard-hitting, hypnotic and made for dancing.
Prolific years
Through the 1970s, the band recorded an enormous number of songs, backing many singers as well as releasing their own records. They were one of the busiest groups in West Africa.
Decline
By the 1980s, economic and political changes in Benin, along with changing tastes, made it harder for big bands to survive. Poly-Rythmo faded from the international view.
Rediscovery
Record collectors began to seek out the band’s old vinyl. The compilation The Kings of Benin Urban Groove 1972-80 was released on Soundway Records, and a trio of compilations from Analog Africa beginning in 2008 brought the band much wider attention.
Back on stage
The interest led the band to reform in 2009 and tour internationally as a ten-piece group, with five original members, including Mélomé Clément, singer Vincent Ahéhéhinnou, guitarist Maximus Ajanohun, saxophonist Pierre Loko and bassist Gustave Benthoto.
Praise
The Guardian called them one of West Africa’s best dance bands. They have collaborated with other artists, including the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara.
Singers they backed
Poly-Rythmo worked as a house band for many singers in Cotonou, playing on records by artists across Benin. This versatility meant they recorded in many styles, from ballads to hard funk, and their catalogue is one of the largest of any West African band of the period.
Records that waited
Poly-Rythmo’s story shows how much great African music was recorded and then forgotten outside its home. The records waited in Cotonou’s markets and attics until someone listened again, and the band that made them was still ready to play.
