Following this former post, I’d like to share with you for today “Egbemi Black” an epic raw Afro Punk Garage Soul Funk from Benin, taken from the 1st single recorded in 1971 by mysterious Ferry Djimmy (Jean Maurille Ogoudjobi), an obscure Beninese musician born in 1939, who started his musical career in the late 50s as a singer in Cotonou’s (Beninese economic capital) cabarets, nightclubs & bar, being in parallel a schoolteacher & a boxer.
He moved in the late 60s to Paris (France) and became a policeman and bodyguard in his free time for some French politicians for famous politicians as former French President Jacques Chirac. He recorded during this period his first singles (as the one presented here), released on the mythical French record label “Pathé Marconi“.
He returned in Benin in 1972, and founded a few times later his own record label “Revolution Records” (inspired by country’s Marxist-Leninist leader Matthieu Kerekou), releasing on it in 1975 his sole album (“Rhythm Revolution”, probably Benin’s most wanted album of the genre nowadays), and toured with legendary musicians from West Africa (Fela Kuti, Orlando Julius, Geraldo Pino, King Sunny Ade, …).
He died in Cotonou in 1996 at the age of 57.
Heavy double-sider, invisible nowadays with this self-released cover designed for Beninese market only, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
Ferry Djimmy & His Dji-Kins – Egbemi Black (Benin, 1971, Pathe Marconi)
You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/HfY6mWSR8kQ
Check also my Soundcloud for exclusive mixes & selections : https://soundcloud.com/armand_de_preseau
Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/
Feel free to support my action to preserve musical heritage & buy my vinyl & digital reissues here : https://nangabokorecords.bandcamp.com
Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical rediscovery !
Armand de Preseau
