"Behanzin Bounce” by Morgan Greenstreet brings together the sounds of New Orleans bounce and traditional Tchinckoumé rhythms from Benin. "Behanzin Condo” by Beninese singer and composer Gbofan Ernest Kinhouande provides the foundation to this mix and the essential elements of New Orleans bounce turn this into a club dance track ready to drop at 2 a.m. Listen to the insanely catchy music below:
“Behanzin Condo” is a beautiful call-and-response song which begins with the main melody sung by Gbofan accompanied by a wind instrument. You can listen to it here. Then enter the stars of the Tchinckoumé musical tradition: water drums and gotta drum made out of a calabash. Here are what these gourd instruments look like in action and yes, they are played on water!
Following this intro is very lively music provided by the drums and hand clapping for percussion and a chorus sung in a call-and-response style. The bells in this traditional Beninese song sound like lower-pitched cowbells in the ubiquitous bounce “triggerman beat,” and here is where this uniquely musical fusion was possibly conceived. If you aren’t familiar with the “triggerman beat” check out this “Let the Beat Build: A Bounce Rhythm Primer.”
Bounce is a sound that’s been gaining in popularity. It comes from a tradition of DJs expertly mixing soundbites and hooks from popular songs with bounce rhythms that their audience will love. It’s no surprise that popular producers have taken elements of bounce and given us chart toppers like “Lemon” by N.E.R.D. and Rihanna or “Get Me Bodied” by Beyoncé. We typically hear New Orleans’s brand of hip-hop (bounce) remixed with pop songs to create hits. I’m hoping traditional African songs remixed with bounce like “Behanzin Bounce” becomes a trend that catches on like Afrobeats and spreads like wildfire. Afro-Nolabounce sounds catchy but send your suggestions over to DJ Modrums on Soundcloud.
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