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Gangbé Brass Band |
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Benin
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The Gangbe Brass Band was created in 1994 when 8 musicians, all from Cotonou-Benin, came together. These young jazz musicians had been playing in different groups, before creating this unusual fusion of traditional styles.
Gangbe Brass Band’s aim is to promote the originality of the music of Benin. The result is definitely both modern and traditional, as it mixes jazz and traditional Benin.
They take traditional rhythms, and invigorate them with jazz harmonies. The fusion reveals as much as possible of the musical tradition, while giving a western tone, to link the past and future.
They sing in vernacular language about life in general, political injustices and the tribulations of women.
Through the word Togbé, the band salutes the music on which they build their sound. The first meaning of the word is « ancestor », the band’s way of paying homage to the range and quality of the rhythms they created. The second is a reference to age, highlighting the ancient roots of the music they play.
The Gangbe Brass Band’s musical approach is respectful of tradition, and in harmony with their ancestors and culture.
From 1994 to 1997, the Gangbe Brass Band worked mainly in Benin.
A year later, in 1998, their association called « The Union of Wind Instrumentalist of Benin » took part in the « Atelier Nomade » of Alougbine Dine, a very famous artistic director. They composed a piece called « La Fuite ».
This meeting was very important as it enabled them to draw up artistic and political guidelines, and think about the values they really wanted to defend, things they want to talk about and the projects they could put in place.
During this year, they played many concerts such as the « Jazz à Ouaga » festival, and again at Bamako’s Festival du Théâtre des Réalites where they met the French group Lo ‘Jo Triban.
Thanks to them and to Yves De La Croix, they recorded their first album called « Gangbé » and began an international tour of 35 concerts with them in 1999, playing in Europe and Canada, and another tour in Nigeria. They received an award at Benin Golden Awards, and took part in the first Nomad’s meeting, in Cotonou, and the Pan African of Jazz in Accra (Ghana).
In 2000, still supported by Lo’Jo Triban, they play on international stages, such as the Womad Festival in London, Jazz in St Louis (Sénégal) and Lille 2000.
At the same time, they developed cultural projects for increasing awareness about Beninese culture, their main concern.
The first one « Voodoo’s rhythms box » received the support of the Benin Ministry of Culture. It consists of a collection of all Beninese ceremonial rhythms for a CD, and later a CD ROM, to be distributed in European art schools, and cultural institutions. The second one, called « Horizon 2001 » concerns regional, continental and worldwide cultural exchanges. It’s a European-African network for the organisation of concerts between the Gangbe Brass Band and other guest artists.
The Gangbe Brass Band began working with Contre Jour in Brussels in 2001, recording their second album called « Togbe ». During the Summer, they promoted it through a new tour of 45 concerts, including high-profile festivals such as « Musiques du Sud » in Lebanon, « Couleur Café » in Brussels, the « Sfinks » in Antwerpen, Pop Kom in Köln, and « Musiques Métisses » in Angoulème (France).
In 2002, they were on the road in Europe during the Spring and the Summer and in USA in the Fall for some festivals (Bloomington, Chicago, New York)
In 2003, during their European tour, they recorded a new album (released in June 2004).
During this year, they were touring in Europe and participated in a project with French Jazz Musicians for a Tribute to Don Cherry (presented at the Festival in the Desert in Essakane)
2004 : release of their new album and concerts in Europe.
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web site
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Gangbe Brass Band - Gangbe's Latin - Afro Brass
2006-04-03
English artice in Soundroots
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Gangbe Brass Band in Seattle (Part I)
2006-04-03
English article in World Music central (2005) (Part 1)
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Gangbe Brass Band in Seattle (Part 2)
2006-04-03
English article in World Music Central (2005) (Part 2)
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Gangbe Brass Band - Billboard
2006-04-03
English article - Gangbe Brass Band in Billboard (2005)
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Gangbe Brass Band - Ganbe blends Beninese, Jazz rhythms
2006-04-03
English article in Chicago Tribune in 2005
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
English article - Review of album Whendo in The Daily Telegraph in 2005
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
English article - "Whendo" album review in "fRoots"
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Gangbe Brass Band - Cuivre académie
2006-04-03
French article in "Le Temps" in 2005
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
French article - "Whendo" Album Review in Vibrations in 2004
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Gangbe Brass Band - Brass Academy (part 1)
2006-04-03
English article - "Gangbe Brass Band, brass academy" in Le Temps
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Gangbe Brass Band - Brass Academy (part 2)
2006-04-03
English article - "Gangbe Brass Band, brass academy" in Le Temps
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
English article - "Whendo" album review in Songlines (2005)
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
Deutch article - "Whendo" album review in de Volkskrant (2004)
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Gangbe Brass Band - Whendo
2006-04-03
French article - "Whendo" album review in de Volkskrant
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Gangbe Brass Band in Vibrations
2006-04-03
French article - Gangbe Brass Band in Vibrations 46 (2005)
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2004-10-04
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Critical of Togbe CJ009
2004-10-12
English article appeared in the magazine "fRoots" - November, 2001, n°221
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The New York Times
2004-10-12
September 23, 2002.
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African continuations "GBB, 100% Cotonou" - Critical of CD Togbé
2004-10-12
Imagine n°26, septembre 2001.
Le Temps, 26 juillet 2003.
French press releases : Imagine - Le Temps.
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Gangbe Brass Band
2004-10-12
Time Out New York, September 12-19, 2002.
English article.
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Lotus'02 World Music & Arts Festival
2004-10-13
The Herald Times, September 27, 2002.
English article.
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Gangbé brass band : the "sound of metal" will it find an
echo?
2004-10-13
Le Soleil, Friday, June 2, 2000.
Press Beninese
French Article
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Crazy brass bands
2004-10-13
Vibrations, July 2002.
French article.
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new Gangbe Brass Band video
2010-01-17
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Assiko!, 3rd Album
2008-09-18
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