Album Notes

JI is a jazzy collection of original world beat music from Benin, West Africa. The nine-track album features Etienne Cakpo on percussion and Josélito Atchade on saxophone, as well as guest artist Kane Mathis on guitar and kora, a 21-string gourd-harp from the Sahel.

The songs on Ji range from relaxing instrumental arrangements to danceable funk and reggae beats. Several tracks feature traditional drum and percussion rhythms from Benin, such as "Oriré," a song that brings luck from the ancestors for a good corn harvest, and "Voudoun," a poly-rhythmic composition of traditional rhythms on the bell and shaker.

The song Yonnou is an hommage to women - our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters, and highlights cutting saxophone and catchy Beninese bell rhythms. Other songs convey feelings of spiritual communication, or the importance of intercultural understanding. World-beat fans and connoisseurs of contemporary West African music will particularly enjoy this spicy collection!