FELA KUTI レコード& CD

Review: Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti has a vast catalogue that dates back over half a century. Roforofo Fight is one of the many standouts and it was recorded in Lagos in 1972 on the Jofabro label with the legendary Tony Allen on drums as well as Christopher Uwaifor on tenor, Lekan Animashaun on baritone and many other key players alongside the main man. The lyrics convey Fela's frustration at intolerant and violent behaviour as told through the story of a street fight.

Review: Originally released in 1972, Shakara is a shining example of Fela Kuti & The Africa 70 in full flight. Made up of two 13-minute long pieces, the definitive Afrobeat sound is laid out in undulating, impossibly funky form. Tony Allen holds it down on the drums and the brass section from Tony Njoku, Igo Chico, Lekan Animashaun and Kuti himself punches out with urgency. This 50th anniversary release does things a little differently by inviting the excellent Ezra Collective to deliver their own versions of each track, each getting their side to lay down expansive reflections on the trailblazing groundwork laid by Kuti and his bandmates half a century ago.

Review: Fela Kuti lives on! This is the 10th Anniversary reissue of the classic tribute album Red Hot & Fela, pressed on opaque banana yellow and opaque red vinyl, with proceeds benefiting the Red Hot organization. Since his death in 1997 from complications related to AIDS, Fela Kuti has grown from a West African household name and musician's musician in Europe and the Americas, to a worldwide musical icon. This album hears thirteen collaborative supergroups - made up of stars including Childish Gambino, Kronos Quartet, Spoek Mathambo, Sinkane, Tune-Yards and Baloji & L'orchestre De La Katuba - pay tribute to the Nigerian musician and activist, taking after him in style and cover. Successful, they translate the Afrobeatific sound of Kuti, Africa 70 and Egypt 80 towards an electrified present and future.