Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou is a band from Cotonou, Benin which plays afrobeat, funk, soukous and other styles, often based on Vodun rhythms. The group is sometimes referred to as "Tout Puissant" (French for "All Mighty") Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou
OriginCotonou, Littoral, Benin
Genres
Years active1968-present
Associated actsm

Biography

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou first formed by bandleader Clément Mélomé in 1968 under the name "Orchestre Poly-Disco" in the coastal town of Cotonou, Benin.[1] Their debut album was originally released in 1973.[2] From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, the group recorded around 500 songs in a variety of musical styles for various Beninese record labels.

Revival

A compilation of their back catalogue released on the Popular African Music label in 2003,[3] followed by The Kings of Benin Urban Groove on Soundway Records the following year.[4] A series of compilations released by Analog Africa beginning in 2008 brought the band to greater global attention.[5][6][7][8] This interest led the band to reform and tour internationally in 2009, and release two new studio albums: Cotonou Club, in 2011[9][10][11] and Madjafalao in 2016.

Discography

Reissues

In its heyday the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo released several dozen LPs and singles. The following discography refers only to the publications of recent years.

TitleLabelYearAnnotations
Nouvelle Formule…ACP Productionca. 2000 / 2001current recordings, without stylistic emphasis
Reminiscin’ in Tempo – African Dancefloor Classis [sic]Popular African Music2003Compilation with Soukous and Salsa tracks
The Kings of Benin Urban Groove 1972 – 80Soundway Records2004Compilation without stylistic emphasis
The Vodoun Effect – Funk & Sato from Benin’s Obscure Labels 1972–1975Analog Africa2008Compilation with Afrobeat, Funk and Vodun tracks, which were released on small benin labels originally. Many of the songs are based on the vodun rhythms Sato and Sakpata.
Echos Hypnotiques – From the Vaults of Albarika Store 1969–1979Analog Africa2009Compilation of afrobeat, funk and vodun tracks originally released on the benin label Albarika Store .
Cotonou ClubStrut Records2011current recordings, primarily Afrobeat, Funk and Vodun
Cotonou Club / Radio Poly-RythmoSound d’Ailleurs2011limited edition of Cotonou Club with the bonus CD Radio Poly-Rythmo which includes live recordings, radio coverage and videos
The 1st AlbumAnalog Africa2011Re-release of the first album from 1973. Two of the four titles are in different versions than on the original album.
The Skeletal Essences of Afro FunkAnalog Africa2013Compilation 1969–1980
MadjafalaoBecause Music2016current recordings

References
  1. Broughton, Simon (2010-01-14). "Benin's funk heroes: Orchestre Poly-Rythmo in Europe at last". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  2. "The Quietus | Reviews | Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou". The Quietus. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  3. "popular African music". www.muzikifan.com. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  4. "The Kings Of Benin Urban Groove 1972-1980 - T. P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo | Release Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  5. "Rhythmo de Cotonou, Vol. 1: Vodoun Effect - Funk and Sato from Benin's Obscure Labels 1972-1975 - Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  6. "Album: Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, The Vodoun Effect, (Analogue". The Independent. 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  7. "Echos Hypnotiques, Vol. 2 - Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  8. "Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou: Vol. 3: The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk 1969-1980 - Spectrum Culture". Spectrum Culture. 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  9. "Dusted Reviews: Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Cotonou Club". www.dustedmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  10. Broughton, Simon (2010-01-14). "Benin's funk heroes: Orchestre Poly-Rythmo in Europe at last". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  11. Denselow, Robin (2011-03-24). "Orchestre Poly-Rythmo: Cotonou Club – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
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