Benn Loxo - Matt Yanchyshyn’s African music for the masses

I asked Matt Yanchyshyn what “Benn Loxo” means, he replies: “That’s Wolof for ‘one hand can’t clap’ and this is Matt Yanchyshyn’s African music for the masses.”
(Wolof: a language spoken in Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania, and it is the native language of the ethnic group of the Wolof people source Wikipedia)

You should listen to Benn Loxo - an accidental discovery I made several months back while killing time on the Internet. Yes, Benn Loxo is a Web site - a blog devoted to African music to be more precise.

Matt Yanchyshyn runs Benn Loxo. If I hadn’t seen his last name, I would have sworn he’s African. Even though he’s not one, he’s more than qualified to be one. Matt’s experience and sojourn in Africa will put several full-blooded Africans to shame, I’m ashamed of how shallow my knowledge of Africa is - musically.

Who’s Matt? Check his short dossier:

Born in the U.S, grew-up in Canada, worked in Dakar and Senegal after college. Lived in Senegal for 2.5 years where I started Benn Loxo. Then traveled around the continent for “work and pleasure.

After Africa-trotting, Matt moved to Paris and has been a resident for the past 2 years. He started writing (part-time) about African music for MTV’s URGE music service about 1.5 years ago, too.

Matt states he has “seen good live music in Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa and Namibia” while exchanging email messages earlier today. The melodies from Benn Loxo certainly do offer strong credence to this.

While reading one of the entries on Benn Loxo, a comment from Jonathan - one of Benn Loxo readers in New Zealand - caught my eye. The man has started a live band in his country playing several African music :

“I have started a group here in Wellington, New Zealand. We play a mix of some Highlife, some old Jamaican ska and some funky jazz. Lots of horns, drums and a solid rhythm section. I love Highlife music, especially Rex Lawson, but also a lot of the other “evergreens”…Chief Stephen, Viktor Olaiya, Joe Mensah, etc…If you or anyone can help me get the lyrics and music for some of the old Highlife classics I would be HUGELY grateful!!”

Although the listed musicians are Nigerians, I can recognize just one or two on the list, but My 70+ year old Dad knows them all. The kinds of interaction on Benn Loxo’s not only alludes to the truism that “one hand can’t clap“; the contents on site takes you down the memory line as well…allowing those who can remember this era reminisce, and those who can’t- learn.

Link: http://bennloxo.com/

Some music, enjoy: