Cotonou is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba. It also has a rich variety of ethnomusicological traditions.
The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States is a group of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. Formerly known as African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), the organisation's main objectives are sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world's economy. All of the member states, except Cuba, are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union.
Ibrahima Sylla was a Senegalese record producer born in Ivory Coast and founder of the African music label Syllart Records. He was an internationally acclaimed musician whose production and music direction defined popular African music. From West African dance, to Congolese Soukous, to melodic griot-led songs, Sylla's signature as a music producer is unmistakable. He has demonstrated his familiarity with many contemporary African musical genres, and he has worked with most of Africa's musical greats.
Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese band established in 1970 as the house band of the Baobab Club in Dakar. Many of the band's original members had previously played with Star Band de Dakar in the 1960s. Directed by timbalero and vocalist Balla Sidibé, the group featured saxophonists Issa Cissoko and Thierno Koité, two singers, two guitarists and a rhythm section with drums, congas and bass guitar. Since their formation, the band has predominantly played a mix of son cubano, Wolof music, and to a lesser extent Mande musical traditions. Following the deaths of Cissoko in 2019 and Sidibé in 2020, Thierno Koité has become the leader of the band.
Damien Koffi Anderson Chrysostome is a Beninese former professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent much of his career in the Italian lower leagues before joining French club FC Metz for the 2008–09 season. The following two seasons he played for Turkish side Denizlispor. He ended his career in Finland with JJK Jyväskylä. At international leve, he made 58 appearances for the Benin national team.
Hiplife is a Ghanaian musical style that fuses Ghanaian culture and hip hop. Recorded predominantly in the Ghanaian Akan language, hiplife is rapidly gaining popularity in the 2010s throughout West Africa and abroad, especially in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Germany.
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He was Mayor of Cotonou from 2003 to 2015. Soglo was married to Rosine Vieyra Soglo, the Beninois former First Lady and politician.
The African Movement for Development and Progress is a political party in Benin created in 1997. In the legislative elections held on 30 March 2003, the party was part of the Presidential Movement, the alliance of supporters of President Mathieu Kérékou, who had won the 2001 presidential election, and won nine out of 83 seats. The President of MADEP is Séfou Fagbohoun, a wealthy businessman.
Africando is a musical project formed in 1992 to unite New York–based salsa musicians with Senegalese vocalists. Musicians from other African countries were later included under the name Africando All Stars.
Rosine Honorine Vieyra Soglo was a Beninese politician. Soglo served as First Lady of Benin from 1991 to 1996 during the presidency of her husband, Nicéphore Soglo. She is considered the first First Lady of the democratic era following Benin's transition to a multi-party democracy.
Sévérin Adjovi is a Beninese politician and leader of the Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten (RDL-Vivoten), as well as a businessman.
Benin has abolished school fees and is carrying out the recommendations of its 2007 Educational Forum. In 2018, the net primary enrollment rate was 97 percent. Gross enrollment rate in secondary education has greatly increased in the last two decades, from 21.8 percent in 2000 to 59 percent in 2016, 67.1 percent in the case of males and 50.7 percent for females. Because of a rapid increase in the enrollment rate, the student/teacher ratio rose from 36:1 in 1990 to 53:1 in 1997 but has dropped again in the last years to 39:1 (2018). In 2018, the gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education was 12.5%.
The number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in Benin in 2003 was estimated by the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to range between 38,000 and 120,000, with nearly equal numbers of males and females. A recent study conducted by the National AIDS Control Program estimated the number of people living with HIV/AIDS to be 71,950. In 2003, an estimated 6,140 adults and children died of AIDS. Benin has a well-functioning system of antenatal HIV surveillance; in 2002, the median HIV prevalence at 36 antenatal clinics was 1.9%. Another study in 2002 showed an overall prevalence of 2.3% among adults in Cotonou, Benin's largest city.
Benin faces a number of population health challenges. Apart from modern medicine, traditional medicine plays a big role too.
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou is a band from Cotonou, Benin, originally active from the 1960s to the 1980s and founded by singer-guitarist Mélomé Clément. They reformed in 2009 to international recognition. Their work has mixed styles such as funk, afrobeat, psychedelia, jazz and local voodoo influences. The Guardian called them "one of West Africa's best dance bands."
Amadou Traoré, better known as Amadou Balaké, was a popular singer from Burkina Faso. During his career, which lasted over 50 years, Balaké recorded and performed in different parts of West Africa as well as New York and Paris. In the early 21st century, he was a member of Senegalese salsa band Africando. His music combined different traditions from his home country, primarily Dioula (Mandé) and Mossi, as well as Afro-Cuban music.
Oluwafemi Abolade Leye, known professionally as Femi Leye, is a Nigerian guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. His music is a hybrid of African ethnic sounds, Contemporary Soul, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Funk and Yoruba Music.
Coffi Edem Agbessi is a retired Beninese professional footballer who predominantly played as a midfielder and represented Benin national team on four occasions.
Gombo Salsa is an album by the African-Latin-American group Africando. It was released in 1996.
