Avoudé

With Avoudé, Dogo du Togo makes a dynamic leap from the stripped-back sound of his 2022 debut to an electrifying full-band experience. Recorded in just 48 hours with The Alagaa Beat Band, the album is a vibrant, psychedelic journey filled with brass, retro synths and hard-hitting Afro-rock beats. Dogo’s decision to rework three tracks from his debut album is a bold and brilliant move. ‘Adzé Adzé’ is transformed into a fierce, powerful anthem, bursting with raw harmonies, a commanding brass riff and a gritty solo, amplifying the emotional and political potency of the message at its core – it is a call for African youth to shape their own futures and resist their countries becoming pawns in Western agendas. ‘Zonva’ evokes deep nostalgia with its dub echoes, funky bass and soulful chorus, while ‘Nye Dzi’ reinvents itself with brassy, joyful energy, turning the once-gentle track (a ‘Track to Try’ in Songlines #185) into an exuberant celebration. It’s incredibly impressive that the same artist could bring two such distinct interpretations to life, and these reimagined songs alongside new material with The Alagaa Beat Band combine to make Avoudé a powerful testament to Dogo du Togo’s musical evolution.