Le Sato 2

Latest in Acid Jazz’s reissue programme from the legendary Benin record label Albarika Store, this newly revived vintage gem was Orchestre Poly-Rythmo’s follow-up to 1974’s Le Sato, emphasising the orchestra’s immersion in the rhythms of vodoun. A sato is a large ceremonial drum measuring around five feet in height, played with wooden stick beaters and supported by a panoply of percussionists and smaller drums to create layered, trance-inducing polyrhythms. For Poly-Rythmo, it was a base onto which they added flavours of James Brown, 1970s psychedelic guitar, skin-tight Nigerian Afrobeat and deep and heavy vodoun funk.

To put it simply, this vinyl-only release captures the impact of the Poly-Rythmo players at their peak, in all their peacock finery, on a record that hosts five expansive, immersive tracks. It begins with the ten-minute ‘General Gowon’, opening with funky guitar, a drum pattern with enough propulsion to power a rocket, a sax line big enough to claim its spot on Google Earth, and the silken vocals of Melome Clement. The following eight-minute ‘Gendemou Na Wili We Gnannin’ is a spacey, limpid, multi-dimensional guitar workout, while the closing ‘Je n’en Peux Plus’ features wah-wah pedals and an earworm of a melody. Classic 1970s Afro-funk at its best.