Otodi

The cover of this album goes a great way to describing the audio treasure that lies inside. A mask representing the voodoo tradition of Togo and Benin, funked up with some brightly coloured flares and Cuban heels. Peter Solo, the father of Vaudou Game, channelled his voodoo traditions – he was born in a centre of the culture, Aného-Glidji in Togo – and a love of Afro-funk, which perfectly collide to form a haunting, groovy and authentic album. The listener can revel in pristine recording quality which hails, surprisingly, from an abandoned analogue studio – big enough for Solo to conjure the spirits of voodoo. Fluttering horn lines, rich vocal textures and ceaseless percussive drive carry you through a resplendent set of tracks deeply rooted in African sounds of the past and present. The James Brown-esque shrieks of guest singer Roger Damawuzan pay homage to US funk in ‘Something is Wrong’, before relenting to undulating strings and a spine-tingling chorus of Togolese women in ‘Tassi’.

Otodi scratches an itch that a lot of modern music just doesn't these days. It also positively represents a tradition that has had its reputation irrevocably scarred. Otodi is an instant classic.