Nana Benz du Togo: Refugee Week 2026

The first of our Refugee Week 2026 celebrations at The Cornish Bank and it's a mega one! Under the name Nana-Benz (“The Mothers with the Benz”), a group of Togolese women became well known from the 1980s onward. As traders of printed textiles, they were so successful that they “turned their country into a hub of the textile trade in West Africa.” They symbolized the economic, social, and political status they gained through this success by purchasing luxury vehicles, primarily of the Mercedes-Benz brand. They are regarded as the first female millionaires on the African continent. NANA BENZ DU TOGO - J'AI COMPRIS (https://www.youtube.com/embed/hyTXiThYWRo?feature=oembed) The band plays Voodoo tradition meets soul—built for the dance floor. There are five of them—like the fingers of one hand. A hand ready to form a fist and strike with power, or gently caress the earth with groove and grace. Nana Benz du Togo channels an organic sound steeped in sub-bass and layered with complex polyrhythms, creating a hypnotic foundation for the voices of three electrifying electro-soul preachers. Armed with nothing more than their voices and a vintage Korg keyboard, this powerful ensemble crafts a sound that’s both raw and transcendent. Their live shows are nothing short of spiritual—a blend of ancestral energy and modern fire that has left thousands in a trance across European stages.