Gnonnas Pedro and His Dadjes Band sometimes became known as ‘The Band That Speaks All African Languages’ for their ability to sing in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish. Combined with their masterful blend of Agbadja, Cuban fon, jerk, highlife, and other African rhythms, it gives the sixteen tracks on the latest release from Analog Africa the feel of a various artists compilation rather than the works of one group. These songs made him a superstar in his home country of Benin and what is consistent throughout “Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983”, available as a single CD or double vinyl LP, is each track’s giddily high standards. It is an outlook that Orchestra Baobab would reflect on their 2002 album, ‘Specialist in All Styles’.
The album begins with a 1983 updating of one of Pedro’s earliest hits from 1966, ‘Dadge Von O Von Non’. It had been one of his earliest attempts at a modernised version of Agbadja, an ancestral rhythm based on three differently toned percussion instruments played during burial ceremonies in Le Mono, the region from which his family originated. It led to him becoming known as ‘Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne’ (The King of Modern Agbadja) which gives the album its title. The song was sung in Mina, a language also used in Togo where it became an anthem of the national football team. With its complex, slippery, bouncy rhythm section, organ grooves, horn melodies and tribal vocal squawks, it knocks merry hell out of virtually any other football associated tune.
In contrast, ‘Mo Ngbadun Re’ has a relaxed groove and melodicism, gently chiming guitars and emotive saxophone. It is followed by the hectic rhythms, muted keyboards and chanson vocals of ‘Fini Les Pavés’ which also boast some unexpected changes of pacing that increases the song’s potency.
Side two contains all four singles from the album. The first release, ‘Feso Jaiye’ blends ancestral voodoo beats from Pedro’s homeland with Cuban rhythms to exhilarating effect, all bolstered with a top horn section together with call and response vocals. ‘Adigbedoto’ is a Cuban Son and was originally released in 1977 during his ‘Nigerian years’, so called as it was a period when his music was released on a Lagos label. The intricacies of the rhythms and guitar patterns are mesmerising. Even though it was taken from the same period, ‘Tu Es Tout Seul’ is a Chanson sung in French and gives greater prominence to the vocals, although it again captures both the rawness and quality of the performances. ‘Yiri Yiri Boum’ is another Cuban Son, originally released in 1981 on his newly formed Gnoinsopé label, the upfront rhythms and keyboard solo differentiating it from anything else on the record.
‘Agbadja Moderne N°2’ is blessed with a sharp, almost piercing guitar sound which weaves around the rhythms and horns in an especially joyous fashion. The longest song extending beyond the seven-minute mark, ‘Manzanillo’ is a life-affirming blend of Cuban and African sounds with brass and percussion punctuation. Starting with an almost garage style guitar, ‘L‘Indomptable Gnonnas’ is an instrumental that sees the saxes going wild and propulsive drum breaks. It is, as the title suggest, indomitable.
There is no sign of the quality abating on the record’s final side. ‘Gbeto Enon Mon’ has the sort of rhythms that attempting to mirror them in dance would result in ending up a tangled mess on the floor, far better to emphatically copy the horn emphasises. ‘El Cochechivo’ manages to capture the essence of what makes both highlife and Cuban such infectious musical forms, also throwing in some carnival horns. Bringing the record to a fittingly upbeat conclusion, ‘Avivogbe’ skips along on a wave of fluent guitars, sing song vocals and sharp horns.
Sadly, Gnonnas Pedro passed away in 2004, aged 61. He leaves behind a great musical legacy and this thrilling collection reflects the versatility and adventure of his charismatic pioneering, genre-hopping approach.
Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes Band: Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983 – Out 7 February 2025 (Analog Africa)
PEDRO & HIS DADJES BAND – Feso Jaiye
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
