Hot on the shelves, afro-soul & tropical funk record label Hot Casa Records presents a blistering album of contemporary afro-funk, from the mind and soul of Peter Solo, singer and composer born in Aného-Glidji (Togo). This was the birthplace of the “Guin” tribe and place of the voodoo culture.
In 2012, Peter Solo formed a band of six members (in Lyon, France), called Vaodou Game, with the intention of combining vaudou tradition with trance inducers such as blues, funk, as well as the rhythm and blues of James Brown, Otis Redding or Wilson Picket. The band comprises Peter Solo on lead vocals and guitar, Vicente Fritis on keyboards, backing vocals, Jerôme Bartolome on saxophone, percussions and backing vocals, Guilhem Parguel on trombon, percussions, Simon Bacroix on bass and backing vocals, Hafid Zouaoui on drums and finally, Stephane Pauze as sound inger. Their debut album Apiafo was entirely produced and recorded, mixed and mastered with old tapes and vintage instruments.
This is a party album. You have the confirmation right from the first track, ‘’No problem’’ – an energetic raw funk that invites everybody to engage into a wild dance in the voodoo spirit. But apart from dance, this is much more than that. The entire album explores and codifies the musical scales that are found in sacred or profane songs of Beninese and Togolese Voodoo, so they can be played easily on modern instruments. Raw funk tracks such as ‘’No problem’’, ‘’Happiness’’ or ‘’Pas Contente’’ (featuring the vocals of Peter’s uncle, Roger Damawuzan, famous pioneer of the 70s soul scene) are part of the first musical scale that Peter Solo used when composed the album. The second musical scale goes deeper and creates an intimate and sacred ambience, with tracks such as ‘’Ata Calling’’.
Peter, the only African band member, introduced the other musicians to the universal values of Voodoo and taught them his native language. On the recording of Apiafo and during their live performances, the musicians all sing and answer Peter in the Mina language.
Tracklist:
1. No Problem2. Dangerous Bees
3. Pas Contente Feat Roger Damawuzan
4. Meva
5. Happiness
6. Ata Calling
7. Wrong Road (feat. Roger Damawuzan)
8. No Way To Go
9. Djin Ku Djin
10. Think Positive