This week, I'm going to focus on the Legendary Black President. No, not Obama. But Fela Anikulapo Kuti. And yes, you have no choice but to listen.
Let's go back to Africa - 1960's Nigeria was changing amidst the colonialism of the British and the imposition of Eurocentric values and cultures upon the African people. While this led to the introduction and fermentation of jazz and various forms reaching the continent during this period, this also lead to the dilution of the African culture and music especially.
Fela Kuti was a moving force in the Afrobeat genre - actually, scratch that. Fela Kuti IS the Afrobeat genre. For a while, he was playing the highlife genre that was popular in the 60's, giving him a light fusion of jazz and African rhythms to his repertoire. After studying in London for a period of time, he was further exposed to African American influences and even visited Los Angeles for about a year in 1969. It was then that Fela Kuti became enchanted with the Black Panthers and the influence of Malcolm X. From that point, Fela Kuti's political activism would begin - he incorporating elements of the Black Power and Pan-African Movement into his music and his livelihood. But it was the exposure to the music of James Brown that shaped Afrobeat into what it would become today - Jazz, Funk and Yoruba Music all in one.
Returning to Africa, Fela Kuti had a new mission. He had already been touring with his band, Koola Lobitos, yet the band was renamed Nigeria 70 and his music thrived in his newly erected club - The Afro-Shrine (often called the Shrine). His title of Black President however, came not through his music alone, but through his commune in Lagos, Nigeria. The commune, titled the Kalakuta (rascally in Swahili) Republic, had housed The Shrine, Kuti's band, family members, and even had a free health care center. Fela Kuti declared his commune separate from the Nigerian government and from his pulpit at the Shrine, he'd sing and incite the Nigerian people with his lyrics and rhythms, all while encouraging Pan-Africanism and national pride. But Fela Kuti never encouraged violence against the Nigerian regime, but the military nonetheless was against Fela Kuti and constantly harassed him.
Since most of Fela Kuti's records are only a few songs long, yet extend for long periods of times, I decided to simply review my favorite album of his: Expensive Shit.
Let's go back to Africa - 1960's Nigeria was changing amidst the colonialism of the British and the imposition of Eurocentric values and cultures upon the African people. While this led to the introduction and fermentation of jazz and various forms reaching the continent during this period, this also lead to the dilution of the African culture and music especially.
Fela Kuti was a moving force in the Afrobeat genre - actually, scratch that. Fela Kuti IS the Afrobeat genre. For a while, he was playing the highlife genre that was popular in the 60's, giving him a light fusion of jazz and African rhythms to his repertoire. After studying in London for a period of time, he was further exposed to African American influences and even visited Los Angeles for about a year in 1969. It was then that Fela Kuti became enchanted with the Black Panthers and the influence of Malcolm X. From that point, Fela Kuti's political activism would begin - he incorporating elements of the Black Power and Pan-African Movement into his music and his livelihood. But it was the exposure to the music of James Brown that shaped Afrobeat into what it would become today - Jazz, Funk and Yoruba Music all in one.
Returning to Africa, Fela Kuti had a new mission. He had already been touring with his band, Koola Lobitos, yet the band was renamed Nigeria 70 and his music thrived in his newly erected club - The Afro-Shrine (often called the Shrine). His title of Black President however, came not through his music alone, but through his commune in Lagos, Nigeria. The commune, titled the Kalakuta (rascally in Swahili) Republic, had housed The Shrine, Kuti's band, family members, and even had a free health care center. Fela Kuti declared his commune separate from the Nigerian government and from his pulpit at the Shrine, he'd sing and incite the Nigerian people with his lyrics and rhythms, all while encouraging Pan-Africanism and national pride. But Fela Kuti never encouraged violence against the Nigerian regime, but the military nonetheless was against Fela Kuti and constantly harassed him.
Since most of Fela Kuti's records are only a few songs long, yet extend for long periods of times, I decided to simply review my favorite album of his: Expensive Shit.
Tracklisting
o1. expesnsiveshit
o2. waternogetenemy
A little history on this album. As I mentioned earlier, Fela Kuti was a political force that spoke against the corruption of the African government. With the government actively trying to subdue him, cops had planted a blunt on his person. Well, being the quick thinker that he was, Fela Kuti consumed the joint and the police then held him until the drugs could pass through his system. So, as the story goes, Fela Kuti exchanged his own excrement for that of another inmate and voila. There was no THC found in his droppings and therefore, Fela Kuti was set free to make fun of the event with Expensive Shit.
There isn't much I can really say about the tracks. They're African Funk Jams that last for 25 minutes all together. Being an import, the CD is usually 17 dollars and this is probably making people go like, "Dude, wtf, this is some Expensive Shit". But as you listen to Fela Kuti weave in and out of the groove with his commandeering saxophone while the African Polyrhythms ride a funk, not unlike Parliament's Horny Horns (look forward for a review on that later).
There's not much more I really have to say. I mean, heck, Fela Kuti stays in pocket with his band from beginning to end. In the title track, he and his band improvise for about six minutes before he lets out a howl and begins his political rants. Mind you, he speaks in pidgin for almost all of his songs, a sort of minimalist English as to reach a larger Pan-African audience (even though most Africans speak French and Dutch if I'm not mistaken).
I'm shutting up. Just, just listen. Next week, I'm thinking Prince or maybe even some Early Hip-Hop.
//end.
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