There's something about the sounding of a chorus of horns that gets the heart thumping and feet moving. It's the sound that demands attention and presses one forward. Here we salute some Afropop stars who've taken to the charge, with brass horns in hand to sway hearts and minds with their music!

Gangbé Brass Band (Benin)

In the 1990s, this group of young jazz players in Benin came together with the idea of creating something new. Under the leadership of one of the country's famed artistic directors, Alougbine Dine, they began to forge a new sound, both modern and original, a sound to capture the feeling if Benin today. Gangbé means "sounds of metal" in Fon.

ReBirth Brass Band (U.S.) Since 1983, the mention ReBirth Brass Band is synonymous with New Orleans. ReBirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show. Their signature brand of heavy funk has placed them among the world’s top brass bands and they are the hands-down favorite among the younger generation.

Franco (Congo) The sorcerer of the Congo guitar, Franco maintained one of the most powerful bands in Congo music--TPOK Jazz--for 33 years. Given his extensive legacy of recordings, and the host of careers he launched and nurtured, Luambo Makiadi--a.k.a. Franco--can justly be called the Duke Ellington of Congolese music. Franco incorporated rhythms and themes from his village in the Congolese interior. Accordingly, Franco's guitar playing was rough, aggressive, and loaded with rhythmic twists.

Bellemou Messaoud (Algeria) Trumpeter Bellemou Messaoud made a career of accompanying the first pop rai singers (including the great Cheikh Rimitti) in the early '60s, around the time of independence. Schooled in Spanish music, Bellemou replaced wahrani's qasbah flute with trumpet or sax, and customized a quarter-tone accordion.

First published: www.afropop.org