In Benin, a small francophone country in West Africa, traditional style roots music is extremely popular: artists sell thousands of CDs and DVDs of music videos, pack stadiums for concerts and frequently appear on national television. There are many, many styles of roots-pop, but the baseline of dense percussion and intricate vocals is a constant.

Producer Morgan Greenstreet focused on these styles for our program Benin Roots Alive. He also made an exclusive Benin Roots Pop Mix from recordings he collected during his trip to Benin in January 2015. Enjoy!