Traditional music and dance
In Togo, traditional music and dance are often one and the same, serving both as an essential instrument of initiation rites and as a vehicle for the values of different ethnic groups. The two largest linguistic groups are the Adja-Éwé in the south (around 44% of the population) and the Kabyé-Tem in the north (26.7%). Among the latter, the Kabyé, dances and sings are expressed particularly during rites such as the Evala, which has become a cultural festival marking the passage from adolescence to adulthood. Usually held in mid-July, these traditional festivals - the country's most important summer event - feature the famous kabyé duel fights. It's an opportunity for young évalou to demonstrate their power. Other Kabyé initiation rites include the Kondonna for young men and the Akpema for young women, accompanied by music composed by griots.
The Kabyé are also home to some of the country's most remarkable choreographic expressions, such as so, habyé and tchemou. So dances pay tribute to the dead and ancestors, accompanied by traditional percussion groups. The habyé dance, on the other hand, expresses power and bravery. This sorcerer's dance takes place every five years and is an opportunity to demonstrate one's mystical strength. Finally, the tchemou dance is organized by parents and precedes a young girl's wedding.
Among the Éwé, a frequent practice sees two families or clans settle their differences through songs composed by griots from both sides. Mocking the flaws and faults of the opposing camp, these songs are usually sung during celebrations and call for a response from the adversary. Sometimes these songs become part of the popular repertoire, crossing generations. It thus becomes a vehicle for the history of a community through time.
As for dance, the Éwé practice agbadja, originally a warrior's dance, which begins slowly and lightly, gaining in energy and intensity with big shoulder movements.
Among the Bassar people, we find the tibol, a ritual "fire dance" in which the values of the community are transmitted, danced barefoot in the flames. Within the same community, we also find the krounima, a dance of virgins.
Finally, the Ifè people dance the tchebe, known for being performed on long stilts.
Musical instruments vary from region to region, but on the whole, you'll often hear castanets of the castanet variety, very much in evidence in dances such as kamou or so, and drums, particularly important in Ewe culture.
The famous griot of Pagouda is a well-known traditional artist. A colorful character with both a national and international reputation, he can be seen more or less all the time in Pagouda, dressed in traditional garb and ready to play his single-string guitar. In the same spirit, the Black Griots of Togo seek to breathe new life into local culture by blending the traditional and the modern in their creations. Les Griots noirs du Togo includes a theater company, Les Messagers du temps, a traditional dance company, Les Nomades, a group of painters, La Plume, and a salsa music group, Les Gedeawo.
Popular music
Immensely talented, Bella Bellow is a Togolese legend. The country's best-known musician, Bella Bellow, who was often compared to Miriam Makeba, rose to prominence as quickly as she did, playing at prestigious international venues such as the Olympia and gigantic venues such as Rio's Maracana stadium. Before her death at the age of 27 in a car accident, Bella Bellow left an indelible mark on Togolese music, with a blend of blues, soul and funk and an inimitable voice. Among her worthy heirs, Afia Mala is another of the great stars of Togolese music.
Nicknamed the "Princess of the Mono banks", Afia Mala turned her back on her career as a lawyer to devote herself to her music, which she now showcases on stages the world over. Able to sing in several languages - including Ewe, Yoruba, Swahili, Lingala, French and Spanish - Afia uses her voice as a veritable instrument with mastery. Finally, Jimi Hope is a rock idol in Togo. Known for his committed lyrics and innovative style, he is often considered one of the continent's finest rockers.
More recently, King Mensah is by far the most popular Togolese musician. A pupil of the National Ballet from the age of 10, he traveled and dabbled in everything - song, dance, literature, comedy - before achieving the status of troublemaker of Togolese music that he is recognized for today. King Mensah ascended to the throne with a fusion of traditional and modern music, inspired by gazo, agbadja and kamou.
One of Togo's latest big names is Toofan. The group's lively, upbeat dance music, a blend of rumba, rap and electro, has produced a string of hits that have captured the hearts of thousands of Togolese, including Bonne année, Éperviers Obragada and Gweta, whose dance video has gone viral.
Current music
In the 1990s, Togo, like many other countries around the world, saw the emergence of a local hip-hop scene. Used here as a catharsis for the political, social and economic problems that divide the country, Togolese hip-hop blends American influences with traditional local music. This is particularly evident in the music of one of the genre's stars, Mic Flammez, who uses kamou and tchimou rhythms to give it another dimension. Clearly one of the hottest rappers on the scene, he is the worthy heir of Eric MC, the pioneer of Togolese rap. The country's hip-hop scene owes him a debt of gratitude, as Ayaovi Éric Mensah, his real name, has worked tirelessly to develop the genre in Togo. An adventurer with a passion for music, in the 1980s he decided to move to Lagos to train as a disc jockey at the Jat Sound Studio. Returning to Togo in 1990, he set up The King Sound Studio, Togo's first rap school, which would later form the root of the Togolese hip-hop movement. His unique status enabled him to rub shoulders with such well-known rappers as MC Solaar, whose opening act he supported in Lomé in 1992. For many, he remains Togo's best rapper.
Other artists to keep an eye on include Vicky Bila, a crystalline soprano in love with jazz and soul, Alister G., a much-followed voice of Afro-R&B soul, and Hot Casa Records. Although this label is French, it produces quite a few jazz and afro-soul artists from Togo. For example, it publishes albums by the Franco-Togolese group Vaudou Game, fronted by the hilarious Peter Solo, and reissues Itadi and Roger Damawuzan, the "James Brown of Togo". Passionate about the country, Julien Lebrun, one of the founders of Hot Casa, filmed the documentary Togo Soul 70 in 2016, tracing the golden age of music in Togo from 1970 to 1980. This in-depth research resulted in a compilation, Togo 70, packed with Togolese rarities from the 1970s. A must-listen!
In Lomé, there's no shortage of good concert opportunities. There's one every weekend at the fashionable Refuge International, as well as at the famous Goethe Institut and Institut français, which, as in many cities around the world, also frequently program good concerts here.
