The west African nightlife (particularly in the small country of Benin) was a great thing to be a part of in the '70s, but, unfortunately, some revolutionaries put a swift end to the fun. Those militaristic nuts thought that it would be a good idea to put an end to the arts that acted as the backbone for Benin's nightlife, and it worked... for a little over a decade. Unfortunately, this group, Orchestre Polyrythmo de Cotonou, was one of the victims of this evil plot, fading into obscurity in 1982. Eventually, the totalitarian regime gravy train had run its course and people wanted the funk back, overthrowing their authoritarian leaders and establishing a republic. However, that was only the beginning, as a French journalist would have a chance encounter with this band in 2007, which resulted in the group being introduced to the rest of the world. Almost seven years later, Orchestre Polyrythmo de Cotonou is planning an international tour that will take their music around the world.
Here's a link to an interesting article on the band and how it reclaimed and exceeded its former glory:
http://www.repost.us/article-preview/hash/a1d0aa09646e6b463b837829d65942bc/
Got any favorite band comebacks?
