Kuti, Fela / Afrika 70 - Before I Jump Like Monkey Give Me Banana / Excuse-O CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-KFR 1010
This is THE bargain of the store and possibly also of the century. This is two mid 70s (1975 and 1976) albums by the best band Fela ever had, recorded during his best period.
Every music collection needs at least one Fela release. Period.
"There were three great beats in the 70 s: Fela Kuti s Afrobeat, James Brown s Funk, and Klaus Dinger's NEU!"-Brian Eno
And if you aren't familiar with him: Fela was one of *the* most important musicians from Africa. From Nigeria, he pioneered a hypnotic, early form of Afro-beat in the 70's that used driving percussion, jazz influences, funk influences from James Brown and hypnotic and interlocking rhythms and musical figures performed by a huge band, all behind very pointed & often politicized lyrics.
He was a human rights revolutionary who started his own political party, Movement Of The People, to protest the kleptocracy in Nigeria. He had his own compound called the Kalakuta Republic in Lagos, which he declared independent from Nigeria, where he and his uncountable number of wives lived and they were constantly harassed by the government.
He was insanely popular in his homeland and his music raised the ire of the government who attacked his compound, fatally injuring his mother and leading to his many arrests. He died in 1997.
I'm proud to say that I was aware of his work early enough to have seen him twice in the mid 80s (I had a ticket for a third appearance but he didn’t show because ... he was in JAIL in Africa) and he was always amazing, even though I saw a later version of the band who weren't as good as they are here!
As Robert Wyatt said once, "Fela is my favorite arranger. He's only got one arrangement, but it's so good, it doesn't matter."
- LabelKnitting Factory
- UPC5051083069083