Zangbeto Quintet

Zangbeto creates a dialogue between jazz and the traditional rhythms of Togo, producing music that is organic, danceable, and full of spirit.

Formed in 2021 when three young Togolese musicians—Joachim Amouzou (piano), Honoré Dafo (bass), and Henoch Fafadji (drums)—during an artistic residency with Peter Solo (Vaudou Game), Zangbeto now brings these musicians together alongside French trumpeter Félicien Bouchot and guitarist Romain Baret.

The band’s name refers to the Zangbeto, masked figures from southern Benin tasked with protecting communities at night. This symbolism of vigilance, ritual, and trance fuels the quintet’s musical identity.

Blending contemporary jazz, African grooves, and Togolese musical traditions, Zangbeto has developed an original musical language driven by improvisation, collective energy, and cultural dialogue. The musicians divide their time between Lomé and France, where they are crafting a distinctive repertoire.

Their debut album, Ezo (“fire” in the Ewe language), released in 2024, was critically acclaimed and featured on RFI, FIP, France Musique, and TSF Jazz. Le Monde described it as a “perfect fusion of jazz and traditional Togolese rhythms .” Since then, the group has performed at numerous venues in France and across Europe, including the Duc des Lombards, the Sunset, Jazz à Vienne, the B-Flat (Berlin), the Jazz Dock (Prague), and the Grounds (Rotterdam).

In the fall of 2026, Vô (“freedom” in Ewe) will be released—a new album that continues this musical journey. Blending tradition, contemporary creativity, and the freedom to improvise, Zangbeto embodies a vibrant, generous, and deeply open-minded approach to music.