I sacrificed a chicken to find records
Frank
2,370 Posts
On Monday I went to see a Voodoo priest in a small village in the South West of Benin. We held a ceremony in the shrine of Vodun Agbo where we sacrificed a chicken and I had to drive a wooden pole into the ground by hammering it with a wooden club. Afterwards the priest consulted the Fa which worked like this:A Kola nut was split in four pieces and thrown onto a plate after asking a question to the Vodun. The Vodun then answered with certain different combinations of how the pieces of Kola nut came to rest. The result was so positive that all the elders that were present inside the shrine with us voiced their pleasant surprise in a loud murmur.I was left inside the shrine on my own to ask the Vodun for more detalied help.Outside, a group of men and women began to perform a dance for us.As a reminder, we left a Poly Rythmo 45 in the shrine and after a few shots of Sodabi (local moonshine distilled from fermented palm sap), we were on our way back down the river in a small unitrunk fishing boat. 
Just one day after the ceremony, I made my biggest single find of African 45s so far. Amongst others I found Fela's "beautiful dancer", Orlando Julius' "james brown ride on"/"psychedelic afro shop", the "paulina" 45 by Black Santiago and a whole bunch of rare Poly Rythmo 45s in great condition that I've only seen as scratched-up copies before.I'll be travelling around Benin for the rest of the month but brace yourself for one kick-ass mix once I get back home to Conakry!Oh yeah, and by the way: this time I'm being followed around by a documentary film maker...
Just one day after the ceremony, I made my biggest single find of African 45s so far. Amongst others I found Fela's "beautiful dancer", Orlando Julius' "james brown ride on"/"psychedelic afro shop", the "paulina" 45 by Black Santiago and a whole bunch of rare Poly Rythmo 45s in great condition that I've only seen as scratched-up copies before.I'll be travelling around Benin for the rest of the month but brace yourself for one kick-ass mix once I get back home to Conakry!Oh yeah, and by the way: this time I'm being followed around by a documentary film maker...
Comments
sums it up perfectly.
Also:
Digger's got to do what a digger's got to do.
Can't wait to see the doc.
Where do I place my order?
and besides i am sure they happily ate the chicken
being a vegetarian/vegan i feel bad for the chicken ,but not in a third world context and especially since you found the ill afro-funk 45s
Even being a helpless carnivore myself, I do understand and apreciate the concept of being a vegetarian in the first world where growth hormones, mass stables and sewage flooding of rivers and lakes are a major problem. Around here however, it would not make any sense to not eat meat. You would also risk to seriously offend your hosts.
I actually had to promise to be back if the Vodun works for me and I promised to bring a cow along with plenty of Sodabi, palm oil and a chunk of money...
Then I saw Frank was the author... and I suddenly realised what I was likely to be in for.
Immediately upon reading the thread title and noticing its author, I'm thinking "man ... this is gonna be another one for the book I really hope he eventually puts together". So I'm more than glad to see that this was filmed. A documentary would become an instant all-time classic.
Though I do think an oversized book of images and stories from your travels/adventures would get a permanent home on many a coffee table.
But none more than Frank.
Seriously
I'd also be frightened of what would happen if you didn't bring the cow!
Depending on it's size and where you buy it, a cow goes for $80 to $200.
I hope I'll be able to find one not too far away from the village but since the last stretch of the way only leads across a river, it'll probably be a bit adventurous... just to be on the safe side, I promised to be back next year since I'm not sure if we'll have the time to go back there on this trip nor if I'll be able to leave for another one before our move to NYC.
I'm definitely going to travel back to Benin even from the US. It's just such an amazing place.
I've heard this.
the first week of July if everything goes well...
we're having trouble with Bruessels Air, they say they can't take more than two dogs on one plane and we have three... maybe my wife and I will have to travel individually... it'll definitely be late in June or early in July though.
Your stories of life and travel in Africa are always entertaining and very interesting. As people have already mentioned, please do a huge coffe table book, comps and a documentary DVD! I am sure everyone on the board will support and buy everything. Mabe we can meet up for drinks one night in NYC later in the year and you can tell me some travel stories.
and this
sounds like a contender for the greatest rackord of all time.
no shit, right? I only have that Orlando Julius "super Afro soul" reish that afrostrut put out about 8 years ago, and it is awesome...but I dot think anything on it could live up to titles like that...