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Antoine Dougbé

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou

"The future of music happened decades ago” 

An iconic record label needs a signature sound, a unifying element that makes all its releases stand out as its own. Analog Africa undoubtedly has that. Its records are unmistakable, whether they’re from Benin, Somalia, Cameroon or Cape Verde. They all have that distinctive blend of funk, soul and local traditions with a gloriously chaotic analogue charm – Analog Africa’s records always represent the epitome of African groove.

Created by Tunisian/German compiler and writer Samy Ben Redjeb in 2005 the label founder has since travelled to 29 African countries and releases 50 projects obtaining several awards and nominations, including winning the German Record Critics Award at the 2011. 

Each project explores a scene or artist from anywhere across Africa and Afro-Latin America, building a snapshot of all things funky in that golden period. By dusting off rare finds, locating those responsible, and in many cases interviewing the principle artists behind these recordings, the all encompassing journey from transforming the source material into a sumptuous (and on occasion award-winning) objet d’art is documented for posterity.  In the process the world is introduced to obscure rhythms like Sato, Sakpata, Siria, Edo Funk, Dhanto, Sar, Bariba, Dendi, Gandjal, Kazukuta, sounds which are mixed in with all things disco during Analog Africa´s DJ Sets.