Biography of Gangbé Brass Band

The Gangbé Brass Band is a 10-member Beninese musical ensemble founded in 1994. The word "gangbe" means "sound of metal" in the Fon language. They blend West African juju and traditional Vodou music with Western jazz and big-band sounds. Their unusual instrumentation---trumpet, trombone, and tuba, along with West African percussion and vocals---is, to some extent, part of West Africa's colonial legacy; French colonial officers imported brass instruments and trained local musicians to play European-style military and dance hall music. Gangbe has released four albums: Gangbe (1998), Togbe (2001), Whendo (2004) and Assiko (2008), and tours extensively in Europe and North America.