Voodoo music

Charles Otieno and Stevens Muendo

The seated and standing audience waited patiently as long lines marked the staircase of Alliance Francaise, Mombasa. Soon the military sound rung the arena as GangbÈ Brass Band took on stage. The 10 band members dressed in bright colours of traditional outfit hit the notes and routine danced with ease. Their sound was distinct and broadly from military brass bands, ritual chants fused with New Orleans jazz sound and a tinge of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat. Playing hard-hitting yet sweet, soulful music made listeners dance as others nodded their heads to the rhythms. Unlike most West African bands that specialise in Mbalax, Highlife or Afrobeat, Gangbe was more of a jazz standard band.

Gangbe Brass Band members on stage at a past performance. [PHOTO: COURTESY/STANDARD]

GangbÈ Brass Band sounds a whole lot better than their description. They also fuse joyously bright horns and syncopated rhythms —held down by a raunchy tuba bass beat that makes people dance. And since Kenyan music fans have discovered jazz as the latest fad, they made their way to Alliance Francaise Gardens in droves. And they were not disappointed as the band brought the roof down.

The performance will linger for a long time in the Kenyans’ mind as the group lived up to their name GangbÈ — which means ‘the sound of metal’ referring to the trumpets, saxophones, trombones, sousaphone (related to the tuba), and sometimes elaborate metal bell percussion — which epitomises the history so often found in Africa. Their irresistible repertoire was top class. They sauntered on stage chanting and engaging the audience.

Perfect harmony

Apart from super vocals, the instruments played was in perfect harmony. Lovers of horn section especially the trumpet, trombone and tuba played alongside West African percussion would not forget the rhythmic mix.

Their songs revolved around life in general, political injustices and the tribulations of women.

Only a small fraction of the audience understood the songs but the eclectic show was breathtaking and with no boundaries. The band has toured around the world. They have performed in big festivals in America and Europe. To date the group has released three albums Assiko (2008), Whendo (2004) and TogbÈ (2001).

The band was formed in 1994 when eight musicians, all from Cotonou came together. They had been playing in different groups and came together to fuse traditional styles and promote the original music from Benin.

They took traditional rhythms, and invigorated them with jazz harmonies. Most of Gangbe fusion links the past and future and looks forward to maintaining traditional Beninese rhythms and share them with a wider audience. It is alleged that the group sought permission from voodoo priests and from their ancestors in Benin to use certain chants and rhythms. And for the band to get national and cross-cultural appeal, they sing in all Benin ethnic languages. Most of the songs are performed or recorded in Fon, Ngou, Mina, Yoruba and EvÈ. For international appeal they sing in French. 

Major festival

The band’s rise to the top started in 1994 just after formation. And between 1994 and 1997 they entertained fans mostly in Benin receiving wide acclaim.

But it was in 1998 that their association called The Union of Wind Instrumentalist of Benin took part in the Atelier Nomade of Alougbine Dine, a very famous artistic director and composed La Fuite. Soon doors opened for them to perform internationally in major festivals.

Gangbe later received an award at Benin Golden Awards and took part in the first Nomads meeting, in Cotonou, and the Pan African of Jazz in Accra (Ghana). From Accra the band went on tour of London and Senegal. In 2000, they performed during the prestigious Womad Festival in London followed with another show in Lille France. The band came back to Africa in the same year and rocked St Louis (Senegal). And that’s not all, the following year Gangbe were on road in USA and Europe. The tour took them to Bloomington, Chicago and New York festivals.

They participated in a project with French Jazz musicians for a tribute to Don Cherry (presented at the Festival in the Desert in Essakane. And although Assiko is largely instrumental, there’s plenty of rousing call-and-response vocalising to infuse it all with a social, almost spiritual, feel. Upbeat, melodic, vibrantly rhythmic stuff.