Traditional and contemporary music of the Togolese Republic
A Togolese drum.
The music of
Togo
has produced a number of internationally known popular entertainers including
Bella Bellow
, Akofah Akussah, Afia Mala, Itadi Bonney, Wellborn, King Mensah and
Jimi Hope
.
National music
[
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]
The Togolese national anthem is
Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux
(Land of our forefathers), written by Alex Casimir-Dosseh. From 1979 to 1992 it was replaced by an anthem composed by the party of the Rally of the Togolese People.
French
is the official and commercial language of Togo.
Traditional music
[
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]
Togo's southern plain is its most populous area, where the capital,
Lome
, is situated on the
Gulf of Guinea
but, like its neighbours,
Ghana
and
Benin
, its territory extends hundreds of kilometres northward, passing through a central hill region into the northern
savanna
that borders
Burkina Faso
. Its population of over 6 million people, which is 65% rural and agrarian, is composed of about
21 ethnic groups
. Approximately 51% of the population has indigenous beliefs, 29% is
Christian
, and 20%
Muslim
.
[1]
The two most populous language groups are the
Ewe
in the south (about 32% of the population) and the
Kabye
in the north (22% of the population).
Gen or Mina
is the second major language in the south, closely related to Ewe: most southern peoples use these two languages, which are spoken in commercial sectors throughout Togo.
Fon
, another related language, as well as
Aja
, are also spoken in the south: the Ewe had entered Togo from the east, and
Akan people
from the west, several centuries before Europeans arrived.
Folk songs of fishermen in the south may be accompanied by
bells
such as the
gankogui
and
frikiwa
. Folk songs in
Ewe
and
Kabye
, are common,
Fon
and
Yoruba
songs also occur.
[2]
Togolese music includes a great variety of
percussion
-led
dance music
. All over Togo drums are used, by Christians and Muslims as well, to celebrate all major events of life and for festivals like the
Expesoso
or
Yeke Yeke
festival.
[3]
In the
Aneho
district alone drums in use include the
agbadja, ageche, aziboloe, kple, amedjeame, akpesse, grekon, blekete
and
adamdom
.
[3]
There are numerous rhythms in Togo, each area having its own special beat.
In the central hills
Tem
and the
Ghana?Togo Mountain languages
are spoken.
Dagomba
is the second most common language in the north, where other
Gur languages
such as
Mossi
and
Gourma
are also found. The culture of these northern people extends far into Togo's neighbouring states,
Ghana
and
Burkina Faso
. The
Dagomba people
play
stringed instruments
such as the
kologo
(
xalam
) and the
gonjey
),
flute
and voice, with poly-rhythms clapped or played on the
talking drum
, gourd drums or
brekete
. The tradition of
gyil
xylophone
music is also common, with several players producing intricate cycling rhythms. Other folk instruments include the
bow
.
[2]
Music in the northern styles is mostly set to a minor pentatonic scale and
melisma
plays an important part in melodic and vocal styles, along with a long history of
griot
praise-singing traditions.
Togolese dances include
kamou
,
soo
,
tchimou
, the southern royal
djokoto
, the
war dances
kpehouhuon
and
atsina
, the hunters' dance
adewu
, the stilt dance
tchebe
, the miming
masseh
, as well as regional dances like the coastal
sakpate
and the
kaka
.
[4]
Popular music
[
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]
Internationally known performer
King Mensah
, a former performer at the
Ki-Yi M'Bock Theatre
in
Abidjan
, toured Europe and Japan before opening his own show in
French Guiana
and then moving to Paris and forming a band called
Favaneva
.
[5]
Peter Solo
The man of Vodoo Game Music from Togo The idea of integrating these haunting lines, sung in honor of the Divinities, to an energetic 1970s Afro-funk was an obvious extension in Peter's mind of the analogy he found between this voodoo tradition and trance inducers such as Blues, Funk, as well as the Rhythm'n Blues of James Brown, Otis Redding and Wilson Picket.Peter heard this new sound coming through him and named it Vodoo Game.
Bella Bellow is Togo's best-known musician, and is often compared with
South Africa
's
Miriam Makeba
.
[6]
Her career began after representing her country in 1966 at the
Dakar Arts Festival
.
[5]
She began a career singing love-oriented ballads in 1969, when she worked with Togolese-French
producer
Gerard Akueson
and soon appeared on French national radio and then the prestigious
Olympia Music Hall
.
[5]
She toured across much of the world before dying in a car accident in 1973, just after recording the hit collaboration with
Manu Dibango
"Sango Jesus Christo".
[5]
In Bellow's wake came a wave of female singers, including
Mabah
,
Afia Mala
,
Fifi Rafiatou
and
Ita Jourias
.
[5]
Other musicians include Jimi Hope. Hope is known for politically incisive lyrics and an innovative rock-based style.
[5]
Hip hop
is on the rise, and 2003 saw the first Togo hip hop awards ceremony.
[6]
Folk metal
scene of Togo, counts one band under the name "Arka'n Asrafokor
[7]
"
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Togo
. CIA ? The World Factbook. Cia.gov. Retrieved on 2012-01-08.
- ^
a
b
Virtual journey through Togo, music + dance
- ^
a
b
Virtual journey through Togo, Togolese drumming
- ^
World Music Central
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Bensignor and Audra, pg. 435
- ^
a
b
Bensignor, Francois (2006). "Benin and Togo". In Simon Broughton; Mark Ellingham; Jon Lusk; Duncan Clark (eds.).
The Rough Guide to World Music
. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides Ltd. pp. 39?42.
- ^
"Za Keli, by ARKA'N ASRAFOKOR"
.
ARKA'N ASRAFOKOR
. Retrieved
2023-10-30
.
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- Bensignor, Francois and Eric Audra. "Afro-Funksters". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.),
World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East
, pp 432?436. Rough Guides Ltd,
Penguin Books
.
ISBN
1-85828-636-0
- "International Dance Glossary"
.
World Music Central
. Archived from
the original
on September 1, 2005
. Retrieved
September 7,
2005
.
- "Virtual journey through Togo, music + dance"
.
OxFam's Cool Planet
. Archived from
the original
on September 9, 2005
. Retrieved
September 7,
2005
.
- "Virtual journey through Togo, Togolese drumming"
.
OxFam's Cool Planet
. Archived from
the original
on November 19, 2005
. Retrieved
September 7,
2005
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Sovereign states
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States with limited
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Dependencies and
other territories
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