Over the past few years Acid Jazz has been the proud custodian of the legendary Albarika Store label, which produced some of the finest, deepest West African cuts of the last century. The mainstay of the Albarika sound was the mighty T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, who were prolific throughout the label’s activity from the late ‘60s to the early ’80s.
When they reformed for their first-ever European tour in 2009, Benin’s T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo underscored their status as one of the all-time greats of West African music.
Formed in 1968 by bandleader Clément Mélomé, their rare alchemy of scorched funk and driving Afrobeat didn’t just defy a repressive political system; across fifty studio albums, it revealed a group infinitely worthy of the world stage.
Tag Archive: T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo
Over the past few years Acid Jazz has been the proud custodian of the legendary Albarika Store label, which produced some of the finest, deepest West African cuts of the last century. Based in Benin, the label was a melting point of local sounds and talent, fused with wider influences in funk and soul, rock and psych and of course, Afro Beat.
This first-time reissue of Tidiani Kone et le T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo sees the horn maestro team up with the label’s mighty leading act for two mesmerising sides of extended jams.
Like many Albarika cuts, it was recorded at EMI in Lagos, offering a fidelity almost unheard of in rare African records. Presented on a beautiful recreation of the original sleeve, with the audio remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering…
Well, in all fairness, he DID title it Self-Portrait...