Beninese people commemorate this Friday, August 12, 2022, the 18th anniversary of the death of the musician Gnonnas Pedro. His mythical songs such as ”Yiri yiri boum, Azo Nkplon, La Musica En Vérité”, earned him great success and his performances within the famous group ”Africando”, propelled him further onto the international scene. Gnonnas Pedro has left his nation a rich musical repertoire that continues to endure.
His real name was Gnonnan Sossou Pierre Kouassivi, Gnonnas Pedro was born on January 10, 1943 and died on Thursday, August 12, 2004 of prostate cancer at the age of 61 at the National Hospital and University Centre Hubert Koutoukou Maga in Cotonou. He is from the town of Lokossa in the Mono department and was a song writer, singer and arranger.
Best known as the lead singer of Africando between 1995 and his death in 2004, Pedro had his own groups, Pedro and Sus Panchos, before reforming as Gnonnas Pedro and his group Dadjè, before joining the group Poly-Rythmoof Cotonou.
Gnonnas Pedro, a master of the art with a diverse musical style.
As a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and dancer, best known as a salsero, Pedro has embraced many styles of music, including High-life (Ghana) and Juju (Nigeria). Pedro is credited with updating the traditional Agbadjaa styleof his home region of Mono, creating the modern Agbadja. He sings in many languages, including Mina, Adja, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish. Pedro produced the song Feso Jaiye, which became a hit show for all the Pan African Games groupsin 1973.
A rich discography of solo and collaborative work.
Gnonnas Pedro has written several songs on his own and in collaboration with Africando.
Album Solo
- Dadjes: The Band Of Africa (1975)
- Gnonnas Pedro (Disco Stock, 1979)
- El Cochechivo (Ledoux, 1981)
- Agbadja (Syllart, 1999)
- Irma koi (Syllart, 1999)
- The best of Gnonnas Pedro (2003)
- Gombo Salsa (Stern’s Africa STCD1071, 1996)
With Africando
- Baloba (Stern’s Africa STCD1082, 1998)
- Mandali (Stern’s Africa STCD1092, 2000), credited to Africando All Stars, distributed in France as Betece
- Live! (Sono CDS8907, double CD, 2001), sold out
- Martina (Stern’s Africa STCD1096, 2003)
- Ketukuba (Stern’s Africa STCD1103, 2006),posthumous .
