Rhythm Revolution - Ferry Djimmy (1975)
Ferry Djimmy’s story is one of those I love because it keeps getting wilder the longer you read.
He grew up in the morass of post-colonial Africa, in the part that would become Benin. He worked as a teacher (who moonlighted as a boxer) and got into the sound, of the moment in west Africa: Afrobeat, Highlife, and imported American funk.
After decamping to Paris (and working as a cop and bodyguard for the mayor of Paris; i told you it was wild), he returned to Benin as it was taken over by a government that he found more in common with. The government underwrote the cost of this record, hoping to spread the word of their revolution through a very popular musician.
The funk is fast-paced and relentless on this record. When it breaks from driving like a steam engine, you get some more conventional R&B with a distinctly west African flavor.
