Orchestre Poly-Rythmo
The latest in an impressively long list of legendary African performers to grace the stage of Norwich Arts Centre is the 10-piece Orchestre Poly-Rythmo from Benin, and currently on their 50th anniversary tour. One of only six British shows, it is remarkable that they appeared in Norwich, alongside other, much bigger cities.
While the audience lounged outside in the summer sun, the band made their way onto the stage, and as we filed in the Orchestre, bedecked in African robes, were already getting into the groove of their opening number. Theirs is a sound that fuses a myriad of influences – traditional Beninese, Nigerian Afrobeat, Ghanaian Highlife, Congolese Rumba, Latin rhythms, American soul and R&B and a liberal dash of psychedelia. A heady brew indeed and one which makes it literally impossible to stand still, so we didn’t. The hall was close to full and for the duration of the set everyone seemed to be moving from the front right to the back.
At its very best the music was brilliant, particularly, for me at least, on the Afrobeat influenced numbers where the loping beat and stabs of brass fused perfectly with the incessant poly-rhythmic drumming and percussion they are named after. This incredibly high standard wasn’t quite maintained on every song, but that was down to my own musical preferences, rather than any deficiencies with the group.
Each of the band were highly skilled, but special praise must go to the vocalist who also made inspired use of his cowbell, the bassist whose runs underpinned the wall of sound and the guitarist who sprinkled his spidery, elastic magic over the top of everything. Vocally too, it had that depth and warmth that is so unique to the best of African music.
This was one of those nights that makes Norwich so special. A packed crowd of familiar faces, all in tune with a great live band, that really has no right playing somewhere so…unfashionable.
