Minister Yassine Latoundji and Fifi Fender met in Cotonou on 13 October 2026 to discuss the development of a national sound identity project for Benin. On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Minister Yassine Latoundji met with Fifi Fender in Cotonou to discuss a national sound identity project. Officials intend for this initiative to establish a distinctive auditory footprint for the country. The project aims to create a distinctive auditory footprint for Benin to enhance the visibility of Beninese creations on global music platforms. By creating this unique identity, the project aims to enhance the visibility of Beninese creations on global music platforms.
Mapping Benin's Musical Heritage
Heritage mapping serves as the foundation for the national sound identity project, requiring an inventory of traditional rhythms, songs, music, and dances from Benin's twelve departments. The initiative will use a heritage mapping based on an inventory of traditional rhythms, songs, music, and dances from Benin's twelve departments. Authorities intend to document these cultural expressions to provide a representative dataset for the initiative. Fiacre Ahidomehou, who is overseeing the technical compilation, noted that the process involves cataloging regional variations across the administrative divisions to ensure the final auditory identity reflects the full scope of the country's musical diversity.
The technical team will work systematically to ensure that the documentation phase captures the nuances of local performance styles. This effort involves traveling to various administrative zones to record audio samples and conduct interviews with practitioners who maintain these traditions. Fiacre Ahidomehou indicated that the full nature of this inventory is necessary to build an authentic auditory profile. By systematically recording these elements, the government plans to preserve the integrity of Benin’s musical heritage while simultaneously preparing it for digital integration.
Minister Yassine Latoundji stated that operational modalities will be implemented to involve stakeholders in the artistic ecosystem. This approach aims to integrate practitioners, researchers, and local performers into the development framework. By engaging these participants, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts intends to align the project goals with the practical realities of the creative sector. These modalities are expected to define the criteria for selecting specific musical elements for the national sound database.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts has structured these modalities to ensure that the selection of musical elements remains transparent and inclusive. Researchers will assist in verifying the historical and cultural significance of the rhythms and songs identified during the mapping phase. Meanwhile, local performers will provide firsthand insights into the performance techniques that define Benin's diverse soundscape. As the project progresses, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts will facilitate workshops to refine the criteria used for the database. These sessions are intended to foster collaboration between the various stakeholders, ensuring that the final national sound identity is representative of all twelve departments. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts expects that this structured engagement will lead to a more strong and widely accepted auditory identity.