voc, *1971
World
A.k.a. Ayaovi Papavi Mensah
Born August 12, 1971 to a father from Togo & mother from Benin. Mensah began performing with a 'ballet' of traditional Togolese folkloric music at age 9. In his formative years, he was a member of the band 'Les Dauphins de la Capitale'. He acted with Ki-Yi M’Bock Theatre in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (early 1990’s), then traveled Europe, Japan, French Guiana, France, and Benin as an actor & singer. Known as "The Golden Voice of Togo," King Mensah is one of the most popular musical acts from Togo, West Africa. Though based in Lomé, he regularly records and promotes his albums in Paris, and has embarked on several world tours since 2005. Singing in Ewe and French, King Mensah's sound fuses elements of traditional Ewe music (Agbadza and Akpessé), and Kabye dance-drum music, with funk, reggae, and West African Afropop. King Mensah's lyrical themes are steeped in religion and hopeful encouragement for the orphaned, oppressed, and downtrodden.
Toukouleur |
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Madjo | King Mensah | 1998 | Album |