Ayaovi Mensah

Ayaovi Papavi Mensah , better known by his stage name King Mensah (born August 12, 1971 ) is considered the golden voice of Togo . The Togolese sings in Ewe and French to music that combines traditional Ewe (Agbadza and Akpessé) and Kabiyé music, funk, reggae and Afropop. Mensah lives in Lomé .

Life

Mensah is the son of a Togolese father and a mother from Benin . At the age of nine he began to take part in a traditional dance group. Later he was a member of the band Les Dauphins de la Capitale ("The Dolphins of the Capital"). In the early 1990s he appeared as an actor at the Ki-Yi M'Bock Theater in Abidjan ( Ivory Coast ) and then traveled as a singer and actor through Europe, Japan , French Guiana , France and Benin. The themes of his texts are shaped by religion and the encouragement of orphans and the oppressed. In 2005 Mensah founded the Foundation King Mensa in Togo, which is dedicated to the protection and education of orphans. She also runs an orphanage in Agbodrafo , 25 km east of Lomé.

Awards

• 1997: Togo Best artist ACCP with UNESCO of Paris
• 2000: KORA All Africa Music Award in the Best Traditional Artist category
• 2000: Togo Music Awards - Best Artist
• 2000: Togo Music Awards - Price of excellence
• 2000: Togo Music Awards - Best Album ( Mensah, Mensah )
• 2004: KORA All Africa Music Award in the Best Traditional Artist category (West Africa)
• 2005: FIATI Trophy in Lomé
• 2005: Best African Social Artist
• 2005: Trophées de la musique au Mali - Golden Tamani as the best artist from Togo
• 2006: Trophy of Independence - Leader of the Togolese Music
• 2008: Officer of the Togolese Order

Discography

• 1996: Madjo ("I'm going")
• 1998: Edidodo ("Courage")
• 2000: Mensah Mensah
• 2002: Elom ("He loves me")
• 2008: Yetonam ("He answered me")

literature

• Richard Trillo: Rough Guide to West Africa 5
• Rough Guide to World Music: Volume 1 by Rough Guides

Web links

• Ayaovi Mensah recordings in the catalog of the German National Library
• King Mensah's website (French)