Release date: 4 March 2013
Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti passed away 15 years ago but to this day his legacy lives on
across the globe with his still-relevant, forthright political views and
powerful music. The complete works of
Fela, consisting of almost 50
albums, are now being re-packaged, with in-depth track commentaries written by Afrobeat historian Chris May,
and prepared for a three-batch
re-launch between March and September 2013.
The
re-release programme will be spearheaded on 4 March 2013 by the release of The Best Of The Black President 2, a
2CD collection with foreword written by Senegalese-American
R&B/hip-hop artist Akon. The twelve tracks (none under 10 minutes)
include 1975's "Everything
Scatter", probably one of the ultimate Afrobeat tracks, as well as
an extended version of the classic "Sorrow
Tears and Blood", inspired by the South African apartheid regime's
crushing of the Soweto uprising in 1976. Fela recounts stories such as police
having unsuccessfully attempted to charge Fela for possession of weed ("Expensive Shit") and speaks
out about the practise of skin-bleaching among Nigerian women ("Yellow Fever"). Fela's
final period of recording is covered too with 1992's "Underground System (Part 2)", inspired by Fela's
friend, Burkina Faso's revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara and his assassination. A special deluxe edition of The Best Of The Black President 2 also
includes a DVD of Fela's legendary 1984
Glastonbury concert.
In his
introduction Akon writes: "Despite everything they threw at him,
Fela's music and his message never lost their way. He was always real and he
was always with the people. That's why we love and miss him all the more."
Fela was
very vocal in his views, with biting, acerbic critiques of European cultural
imperialism, corrupt African governments and any forms of social injustice.
This did not go down well with Nigeria's military regimes during the 70s and
80s who routinely harassed and brutalised Fela and his supporters. Two hundred
arrests, serious beatings that left scars all over his body whilst fighting for
those who had 'drawn life's short straw', never stopped him from coming
forward, again and again. "Ah
well, they didn't kill me," he would say. On 2 August 1997 Fela died - and a million people, the people he
fought for, came to his funeral in Lagos to pay their last respects.
Akon, who grew up on Fela's music, believes "Fela's political beliefs were ahead of
their time in so many ways, not least in their global vision. Today, the most
influential protest movements – the environmental campaigners, the Occupy
activists – have global perspectives ... It is a risky business attributing
opinions to people who have passed, but it's safe to say that Fela would almost
certainly have stood alongside today's environmental and economic activists,
and that he would just as certainly have approved of their global
outlook."
And
Afrobeat, the music Fela created, didn't die. Fela's sons, Femi Kuti with his band Positive Force
and Seun Kuti with Fela's band
Egypt 80, both travel the world and release their albums, keeping the flame
burning brightly. But it's not just Nigerian Afrobeat artists who make sure
Afrobeat can be heard all over the planet: There are now in excess of 50
Afrobeat bands operating in Europe, the United States, Britain, Japan and
Australia.
Fela even
made it to Broadway: the Broadway hit
musical, Fela!, recipient of 11 Tony nominations and three awards,
directed by Tony award-winner, Bill T.
Jones, with producer-backing from Jay-Z, Will and Jada
Pinkett-Smith among others, continues to play in the world's most
prestigious theatres. In 2011 the musical 'came home' to Lagos, opening at the New Afrika Shrine (the venue which was
opened by Fela's children Femi and Yeni in 2000 to replace Fela's original
Shrine) and then on to the Eko Center on
Victoria Island where it received a tumultuous reception, playing to 3,500
people each night. The show commences touring once more in February 2013 across
the United States (see http://www.felaonbroadway.com/) and then culminates with a season during the Chekhov Festival in
Moscow.
In
recognition of Fela's burgeoning global stature, Oscar-winning filmmaker, Alex Gibney, is currently making the definitive Fela documentary, due for
cinematic release in 2013. Also, a feature
film of Fela's life and times is in the works with Focus Features,
directed by Turner Prize and BAFTA winner, Steve McQueen.Back in Lagos, Fela's old home, Kalakuta, has recently
been transformed into the Kalakuta
Museum, aided by a $250,000 grant from Lagos State Government who
finally, and thankfully, have recognised his international cultural
significance. Fela's continuing relevance in his home country was made clear
during the recent national protests at the government's removal of the oil
subsidy which effectively doubled the price of petrol overnight. His music was
anthemic to the huge ensuing nation-wide public demonstrations which become
known as Occupy Nigeria. "Listen to what Fela was saying 30
years ago," was heard all over the country "and it's still true today!"
Meanwhile,
the new phenomena of 'Afrobeats,'
performed by a digital-age generation of young African artists, is entering the
mainstream charts with Nigerian acts like D'banj and Wizkid leading
the way. While musically and lyrically departing from Fela's Afrobeat these
artists are still paying homage to the man by adopting Afrobeats as the genre's
name, and at the annual Felabration festival
in Lagos, held around Fela's birthday (5 October), many of them perform in
honour of one of Africa's true icons.
http://www.fela.net/ Twitter: @felakuti
'The Best Of The Black President 2' - Track-listing CD 1: 1. Everything Scatter 10:31 2. Expensive Shit 13:11 3. Underground
System (Part 2) 15:19 4. Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am 12:03 5. Monkey Banana
11:31 6. Sorrow Tears and Blood (Original Extended Version) 16:41
CD 2:
1. Black Man's Cry 11:35 2. Mr Follow Follow 12:55 3. He Miss Road 10:45 4.
Yellow Fever 15:10 5. Na Poi 13:30 6. Colonial Mentality 13:41 DVD (Deluxe edition only): Fela Kuti
performing at the Glastonbury Festival 1984 (60 mins)
For
more information on this compilation and the upcoming Fela Kuti reissues,
please contact Ilka Schlockermann: 079 3206 6624/ ilka@ilkamedia.com
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