Roi De L'Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983

Description

While 4 songs by this magnificent artist were included in the 2009 Legends of Benin compilation, Analog Africa now has the immense honor of presenting a dedicated album on Gnonnas Pedro, the King of Modern Agbadja. Early in his career, he achieved his first success with a song titled "Dadje Von O Von Non." This was an Agbadja, an ancestral rhythm played during burial ceremonies in Mono, Gnonnas Pedro's family's native region in Benin. Gnonnas adapted it, modernized it, and named it Agbadja Modern. This is how he became the “King of Modern Agbadja.” Nearly a decade later, in the mid-70s, Gnonnas secured a contract with African Songs Ltd and later with Take Your Choice (TYC), two Nigerian labels. By this point, his band, Les Dadjes, had become a well-oiled groove machine, marking the beginning of the "Nigerian years." The various masterpieces the band recorded between 1975 and 1980 in Lagos propelled Gnonnas Pedro to superstar status in Benin, while also making him known in other West African countries. The unique blend of Agbadja, Cuban fun, jerk, highlife, and other African rhythms sung in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English, and even Spanish offers a truly unique musical journey.