Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band - Togo

The Alagaa Beat Band is a reunion of friends who made music together on the streets of Lomé in the 1990s – lead guitarist Oya Yao was the one who taught Dogo how to play. Although alagaa originates from guitar and drums, its sound is amplified by a powerful horn section, beautiful retro synths, and the unusual but inspired addition of the electric violin. Like many West African pop styles, it features elements of funk, rock, soul, and reggae, but these are used solely in service of the alagaa, showcasing the adaptability and flexibility of this exciting new style.

Alagaa combines iconic rhythms of the Ewe, Mina, Ga, and Kabye peoples, such as kamou, kpanlogo, kinka, and bobobo, and thrives on a complex interplay between the drum kit and rhythm guitar, with a signature double snare and a guitar line based on the traditional gankogui bell pattern. Alagaa means ‘trance’ in Ewe — “because when you listen to this music,” says Dogo, “if you don’t fall into a trance, then something’s wrong with you! The alagaa beat brings the energy immediately. As soon as it hits you, it just feels different, it takes you somewhere else.”

The melodies, too, are rooted in the cultural history of Togo, with unique pentatonic scales known as mina or mami, derived from the music of the local Vodún religion and traditions that permeate everyday life in Togo.