On September 18, New York City got a resounding musical wake-up call when the Gangbé Brass Band from Benin debuted at Joe's Pub. These ten musicians play brass--as the name suggests--but also sing choral chants and play traditional percussion, often derived from Benin's ancient vodou religion. The brass players learned their chops in military fanfares or marching bands, but this colonial experience clearly didn't distance them from their deeper roots. The band formed in 1994 with the idea of bringing all that together in a new musical genre.

Afropop Worldwide first featured Gangbé on the spring 2002, West Africa Spin program. We had received a copy of their CD Togbé (Contre Jour) at the WOMEX conference the year before. That was enough, but when we actually saw the band perform at the Musiques Métisses festival in France in May, 2002, the deal was sealed, so to speak. Gangbé live is a truly mind-blowing experience. The band's turn on a dime arrangements, shifting from New Orleans brass band joy to ritualistic village choral singing and deep, undulating percussion grooves, keep ears alert, constantly wondering what will come next. The players' stage moves are equally engaging. They waltz about the stage as they play, forever changing formation to feature a particular player or dancer, and acting out little dramas in a performance that is as much theatre as it is music.

On the big stage at Musiques Métisses, they formed an ark, with ever changing action at the center, like a village party. At Joe's Pub, they rubbed shoulders and wove among one another, undaunted by the limitations of a small stage. Afropop Worldwide invited listeners and friends to a special Club Afropop evening centered on the Joe's Pub show, and worked to get the word out. Even sight-unseen, Gangbé clearly had the right stuff. Their album has not been released in the United States, and they've received virtually no press here. Just the same, Joe's was just about packed for the show, and among the crowd were representatives of top record companies, musical luminaries including Congolese singer Lokua Kanza, and even the celebrated filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. Jazz trombone veteran Roswell Rudd sat in for the last part of the set, clearly thrilled to have a band out of his dreams to jam with. The Gangbé Brass Band is a sensation. It's that simple. You'll be hearing lots more from these guys. But remember, you heard and saw them here first. Here are some images from the performances Afropop Worldwide caught in New York and France this year.

Banning Eyre























































Contributed by: Banning Eyre