Episode 85: Africa Deep Funk 1

After a month of focus on Brazil we are turning back to Africa, in fact to one of the core mission statements at Tropicology, namely Africa funk. I will be covering African funk this week and next, with a special focus on deep funk. The occasion for this 2-week focus on African funk is a trio of new reissues of classic LPs by one of the great funk bands from Africa, Orchestre Poly Rythmo of Benin. The first reissue is a vintage compilation of the band’s early singles, originally released in 1972 on the HMV label, reissued this year on the Superfly Records label. Additionally, 2 original LPs by the band have been reissued on the Acid Jazz label this year, the first is titled “Vol 4: Yehouessi Leopold Batteur”, which is the name of the legendary kit drummer for the band; the second is titled “Unite Africaine.” And those two releases follow one more reissue on the Acid Jazz label late last year with the Poly Rythmo lp Segla. So the market is seeing a bit of a Poly Rythmo revival of late, and to celebrate that I am playing 2 weeks of deep funk from Benin and neighboring countries.