Atchegbe is a Yoruba word which means doing something without consequences, as in “I’m going to rip off this guy, it’s atchegbe” – it’ll have no consequence. It’s used anytime someone makes a dubious profit. The song, which is not sang in Yoruba but in Fon, takes a shot at corruption, a rampant problem in Benin and a major political concern.
[:en]Michel was born in southern Bénin, where he started singing at a very early age. After playing the guitar for local bands, he got his first break when he met Mamadou Doumbia during a trip to Côte d’Ivoire. There he learned to play the trombone and started playing for many local musicians. Today he plays for Tiken Jah Fakoly, one of Africa’s biggest stars today, but also released his own salsa albums, including “Agoh” which will be released worldwide on Akwaaba.
[:fr]Michel est né au sud du Bénin et débute très jeune le chant. Après avoir joué de la guitare pour des groupes locaux, il vit sa première rupture lorsqu’il rencontre Mamadou Doumbia lors d’un voyage en Côte d’Ivoire. Là, il apprend à jouer du trombone et commence à jouer pour de nombreux artistes locaux. Il joue aujourd’hui pour Tiken Jah Fakoly, une des plus grande star africaine contemporaine, mais a également sorti son propre album de salsa, intitulé “Agoh”, qui va être diffusé mondialement par Akwaaba.
[:de]Michel was born in southern Bénin, where he started singing at a very early age. After playing the guitar for local bands, he got his first break when he met Mamadou Doumbia during a trip to Côte d’Ivoire. There he learned to play the trombone and started playing for many local musicians. Today he plays for Tiken Jah Fakoly, one of Africa’s biggest stars today, but also released his own salsa albums, including “Agoh” which will be released worldwide on Akwaaba.