VA - African Scream Contest [2008] + VA - African Scream Contest 2 [2018] (2 x CDs)

AFRICAN SOUL

VA - African Scream Contest [2008] + VA - African Scream Contest 2 [2018] (2 x CDs)

African Scream Contest - The subtitle here, intriguing as it is, isn't completely accurate, since the emphasis is actually more on soul and funk than raw garage rock and psychedelia. Indeed, there's a strongJames Brown fixation for many artists here, and Roger Damawuzen should have won an award (or a lawsuit) for his uncanny imitation of the Godfather of Soul. It does get a little wild at times, as with "Congolaise Benin Ye" from Le Super Borgou de Parakou, but one thing that never falters here is the groove. Once a band latches onto it, they don't let go, keeping it rock-solid, but with plenty of polyrhythms happening as part of it, giving it a wonderful, flexible feeling. There's no a bad cut here, and it's obvious that this is the result of a labor of love -- the result of two-and-a-half years work and nine trips to the countries. It may be the Francophone influence that steers the musicians away from the more obvious English and American rock sounds, although you can definitely hear the Afro-Latin percussion of Santana in the mix (and the fiery guitar work, too, at times). But whatever the artists are doing, they thankfully never try to ditch their Afro roots -- which, of course, are the bedrock of soul and rock. This all takes it in another, fabulous direction. In many ways it proved to be a bit of a dead end historically, but the music that came out of it is nothing less than sublime. And keep the player going after the last track for the hidden bonus. It's worthwhile. (AllMusic review by Chris Nickson)

African Scream Contest, Vol. 2 - The first African Scream Contest compilation, an electrifying set of obscure soul and funk tracks recorded in Benin and Togo during the '70s, originally appeared in 2008, and has remained one of the most popular releases on the Analog Africa label. Its sequel finally arrived a decade later, after musician Lokonon André managed to track down all the artists on cratedigger Samy Ben Redjeb's wish list and license their songs, and was well worth the wait. Like the first volume, this one focuses on heavy funk grooves laid down by supremely disciplined musicians, with styles ranging from the slightly jazzy pop of Ignace de Souza & the Melody Aces' "Asaw Fofor" to hypnotic shakers with call-and-response vocals, such as "Nounignon Ma Klon Midji" by Antoine Dougbé. The album lives up to its title on a few occasions, such as Picoby Band d'Abomey's "Mé Adomina," which is punctuated by piercing howls, particularly at its joyous finale. Even when it isn't quite as abrasive, the album's energy level never lets up. Stanislas Tohon's "Dja Dja Dja" and the more percussive, keyboard-driven Cornaire Salifou Michel's "Gangnidodo" incorporate more of a Latin influence, particularly in the horn arrangements. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou's giddy "Moulon Devia" is a sprightly disco shuffle, and one of the most undeniably fun tracks here. Of course, it's impossible to deny the influence James Brown had on the music of this era, and Super Borgou de Parakou's "Baba l'Oke Ba'Wagbe" is filled with ecstatic wails that could be mistaken for samples of Brown himself (if sampling were common back in the '70s, that is). A few songs cool down a bit, such as the reggae-like sway of Elias Akadiri's "L'Enfance" or the wavy shimmer of Gnonnas Pedro's "How Much Love Naturally Cost." The extensively detailed liner notes feature interviews with the musicians as well as plenty of gorgeous photos, but the music itself is the main attraction, and it all sounds uniformly incredible. (AllMusic review by Paul Simpson)

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Track lists

Vol. 1

01 Lokonon André & Les Volcans - Mi Kple Dogbekpo 3:54

02 Picoby Band D'Abomey - Mi Ma Kpe Dji 4:06

03 Gabo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - It's A Vanity 4:22

04 El Rego et Ses Commandos - Se Na Min 3:21

05 Napo De Mi Amor et Ses Black Devils - Leki Santchi 3:25

06 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Gbeti Ma Djro 2:54

07 Roger Damawuzan - Wait for Me 3:19

08 Ouinsou Corneille & Black Santiago - Vinon So Minsou 4:57

09 Orchestre Super Jheevs des Paillotes - Ye Nan Lon An 3:03

10 Tidiani Koné & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Djanfa Magni 9:51

11 Discafric Band - Houiou Djin Nan Zon Aklumon 4:18

12 Le Super Borgou de Parakou - Congolaise Benin Ye 2:59

13 Vincent Ahehehinnou - Ou C'est Lui Ou C'est Moi 10:06

14 Les Volcans de La Capital - Oya Ka Jojo 13:23

Vol. 2

01 Les Sympathics de Porto Novo - A Min We Vo Nou We 6:16

02 Ignace de Souza & The Melody Aces - Asaw Fofor 2:55

03 Stanislas Tohon - Dja Dja Dja 7:41

04 Elias Akadiri, Sunny Black´s Band - L'enfance 2:10

05 Picoby Band D'Abomey - Mé Adomina 2:41

06 Antoine Dougbé - Nounignon Ma Kpon Midji 5:53

07 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Moulon Devia 7:34

08 Black Santiago - Paulina 4:45

09 Lokonon André, Orchestre Les Volcans de Porto-Novo - Glenon Ho Akue 4:53

10 Sebastien Pynasco, Orchestre Black Santiago - Sadé 5:13

11 Super Borgou de Parakou - Baba L'oke Ba'wagbe 3:15

12 Cornaire Salifou Michel, El Rego & ses Commandos - Gangnidodo 4:55

13 Gnonnas Pedro and His Dadjes Band - How Much Love Naturally Cost 6:19

14 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Idavi 5:07

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