Back in late 2001 when I was first handed a French recording of Gangbè Brass Band, I wasn't too impressed with the cacophony of horns and drums that appeared on the CD.  However, I did enjoy their collaboration with Lo'Jo on the French group's Boheme de Crystal CD.  Then over the past few years, I heard the Gangbè Brass Band featured on various African music radio shows and this fun-loving group of men from Benin grew on me.  In fact, I'm quite fond of this group now.  GBB's second U.S. release, Whendo on World Village contains some of the happiest music I have heard in a long time.  I mean, the whole world might be coming to a giant halt, but with these guys around, at least we can dance until our final days.  No doubt that is what I will be doing.

So for those of you who haven't heard GBB, I will try my best to describe the music featured on this CD.  Imagine if you will an array of Afro-Cuban styles meshing with military style brass and Yoruba (and other indigenous) chants.  This group is both modern in that they are influenced by jazz and the Nigerian Afro-Beat and this group is ancient finding its roots in a prominent 15th Century West African Kingdom.  Almost every style of music from mambo to rock n' roll, German military music and traditional African music that has passed through Benin shows up in one form or another on Whendo.  Perhaps this is why this music sounds both familiar and unfamiliar.

Remember Fela (if you're an astute African music fan, you'll know who this song is about), stirs up those Afro-Beats with its funky horns and poly rhythms.  Yemonoho has some of those funky beats too, but falls closer to Afro-Latin jazz and then tribal call & response vocals enliven the experience further.  I'm reminded of the Cuban rumba with its trance beats played on acoustic drums and spiritual overtones.  Awhan-Ho features polyphony call & response vocals which I believes comes from the Yoruba tradition, but it could from another tribal traditional as well.  Various languages appear on this CD too including, fon, ngou, mina, yoruba, èvè and French.  Voila, something for everyone to take with them to the end of the world as we know it.   World Village.  Also check out tour dates at Cranky Crow Calendar or Rock Paper Scissors.