Emerging from Lomé, Togo , Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band is a collective of top Togolese musicians led by Massama Dogo who want put Togolese music on the map by blending psychedelic rock and afrobeat into a genre-defying sound he calls the “Alagaa Beat.”

cultural

Combining Togolese festive and ritual rhythms, hypnotic voodoo melodies, and lyrics that speak to a new generation of young Africans with a message that resonates globally, Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band embodies the heart and soul of modern Togo in its music.

The infectious dance floor groove that makes the “Alagaa Beat” is a brand new sound that showcases Togo’s roots and culture. “Alagaa means trance in Ewe, one of the languages spoken in Togo…. The Alagaa Beat brings the energy right away…. It just feels different, it takes you somewhere else” (KLOFmag.com).

Musical

“Dogo du Togo’s music bursts with brilliant shades of funk, rock, and older West African traditions, familiar elements that come together in fresh sounds” (popmatters.com).

“a really exciting and innovative West African band that fuses psychedelic rock, funk, and voodoo melodies with great energy” (Le Monde).

“When you listen to this music,” says Dogo, “if you don’t get in a trance, then something’s wrong with you! The alagaa beat brings the energy right away. As soon as you bring it in, it just feels different, it takes you somewhere else.” The melodies, too, are anchored in Togo’s rich cultural history, using unique pentatonic scales known as Mina or Mami, derived from the music of the local Vodún religion and traditions that permeate everyday life in Togo.

Origin

Dogo du Togo was born in the capital city of Lomé and was drawn to music early on, learning from elder musicians and playing in various bands as a teenager, despite his father’s opposition. In 2000, he moved to the United States, landing in Washington, D.C. where he founded the successful Afro-pop band Elikeh.

In 2017, Dogo began splitting his time between DC and his homeland, digging deeper into its musical traditions and reconnecting with the local music scene. There, he recorded his first solo album, Dogo du Togo, released 2022 and topping radio charts at home and attracting critical acclaim in Europe and the U.S. For his next album, 2024’s Avoudé, Dogo assembled the Alagaa Beat Band, recruiting old friends with whom he grew up playing music on the streets of Lomé.

With Avoudé, Recorded in less than 48 hours with help from renowned engineer Patrick Jauneaud (Elton John, Kate Bush, Queen), Dogo du Togo and the Alagaa Beat Band make a sound that is undeniably Togolese, steeped in the history of the country while announcing to the world that Togo has something to say.