Born in 1944 in Athiémé, Benin, G.G. Vikey (Gustave Gbénou Vikey) was destined for a future in music from an early age. During the 1960s, he became increasingly well-known in his native country, and it was with his 1969 hit "Vive les mariés" that he made his mark on the Beninese music scene. Thanks to this song, several generations of his compatriots would hum his melodies, and the title even earned him, 34 years after its release, a "Kundé d'or", a trophy for music in Burkina Faso, presented by the wife of Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré. Appreciated for his lively, upbeat ballads that have kept much of the African continent dancing over the decades, he called himself "le chantre de la négritude", in reference to his best-known album, G.G. Vikey - Le Chantre de la Négritude et sa Guitare Africaine, released in 1980. Celebrated in his homeland, to the point of becoming a high-ranking government official in his old age, including Director General of the National Lottery of Benin, and receiving the National Order of Benin with the rank of Commander, he is above all considered by many to be a true precursor of African music. He died on May 15, 2013 in Abomey-Calavi following an illness.
