Metal Oda spoke with Arka’n Asrafokor, the only heavy metal band from Togo.
You are the only heavy metal band from Togo, Africa. Kindly introduce us your band and its members.
I am Rock, founder and leader of the band. I play the guitar and do lead voice and screams, my brother Elom does the rapping and growls; Francis plays the bass, Mass the African percussions and Siko, the drums.
“ARKA’N ASRAFOKOR MEANS WARRIOR’S FIST.”
How about the story of the band, its name and its beginnings?
In the years 2003-2005, through my musical journey, I began to feel some kind of link between our African music, tradition and the energy and spirit of metal music. I then decided to start a band in 2010 under the name of ARKA’N (an acronym for a phrase grossly meaning ‘the hidden side of the universe). I had been fortunate to experiment my musical vision with various and kind musician friends until a stable line-up was formed in 2012 and lasted for three years. Another line-up, the current one, was formed in 2016. A little later, the band’s name became Arka’n Asrafokor, Asrafo meaning ‘Warrior’ in our Ewe language and ‘kor’ meaning fist, or headquarters or can stand for “core” (metal subgenre).
(Founder of the band Rock Ahavi in concert)
ROOTS OF HEAVY METAL LIE IN AFRICA.
How would you describe your music? I see some similarities with Ice-T’s Body Count musically.
Ooh, really? I’m just comparing songs of the first and the second album, and I don’t really feel Body Count style. Maybe the rap parts?… I don’t know. I would rather describe our music like this: some centuries ago, our African music, chants and energies were carried in the hearts and souls of some of our ancestors, brought from Africa to work on plantations in the Americas. Those chants become the Blues. The blues, merged with country music, became rock music, and then evolved to hard rock,and later to metal. Even if metal seems to have nothing at all similar to our traditional music, I just still feel that primal fire of our ancestral music through metal. So I brought metal home, to meet that ancestral music which is like one of its grandparents, so that they can unite their strength and bring something, even modest, to make Humanity conquer its humanity, in these times of troubles. We call that style Asrafocore, a bit like the band’s name. Alongside heavy guitars, metal drums, screams and growls you can hear African warrior and spiritual chants, tribal percussions and a message of fearless fight, wisdom and respect for Life and Earth.
Have you ever been to Turkey? Do you know/listen to any metal band from our country? Your thoughts on our traditional music?
We have never been to Turkey and would love to visit and discover more about metal in Turkey or any traditional music before coming.
We probably know as little about Turkey as you may know about Togo or West Africa, which is normal because of the geographical distance. However, we do know Turkey is a large country with a very rich history so we know for sure that you have a very rich musical tradition ! So we would love to have recommendations, if you have some. Thanks to the internet, we can learn and enrich ourselves with knowledge from the source!
What are the challenges / difficulties of making and performing heavy metal music in your country?
Like in any country where there are not many metal bands, you have to organise your shows and promote them on your own and rally metal lovers around your project. It is not always easy but the passion is a powerful and joyful fuel for us, and we are happy to see our audiences grow from our country to the whole world with music created and produced in our studio here in Togo.
Do people listen to metal music in Togo? How are the reactions to your music in your homeland?
Not really, metal is not really listened to, because Africa produces so many rich and varied local musical genres and acts people can listen to, and enjoy. However we do have some rock lovers and metalheads from Africa or from the world, and also people who can be open to genres they may consider unfamiliar to them. So at our shows, you will see fans, metalheads and curious people, who end up enjoying a lot, since our music is familiar to them because of the African patterns, the language we sing in, and they discover metal and end up liking it, so we are grateful.
(New album Dzikkuh)
What are the global reactions to your music from international heavy metal listeners?
We are truly super happy and grateful! We have had international followers for many years, mainly since ‘Za Keli’, then with the European tours and record deal with RPMl, and the relase of ‘Dzikkuh’, we have been excited to read all the super positive reviews from metal references (such as Metal Hammer for ex) but also the so many messages we receive on our socials or inbox, from around the World.
And we are also grateful fort the many interviews from all over the world, from Turkey as well with you for example, and we are truly honored.
New projects, new albums, new plans for Arka’n Asrafokor?
Touring 2025 and more music of course! But first we are looking forward to presenting Dzikkuh live on stage to our audiences! So that is what we are working on for the moment. We will be communicating about it hopefully soon.
Please tell us what music means to you in one word.
Everything 😉
Thank you for your time.
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Great interview. Really interested in listening to more of this band, fascinating history and reasoning behind their music.
Thank you for highlighting them to me.
Thank you guys.