Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti was dubbed "The Black President" not just for his anti-nationalist, anti-Colonial, anti-tribal, pro-Pan-African political views, but also for his music. Fela combined Nigerian folk music and call-and-response with American jazz, funk and soul (specifically Miles Davis, James Brown, Sly Stone and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters) for a groundbreaking new style. This set lives up to its title -- the essentials are all here: "Sorrow, Tears and Blood," "Zombie," "Lady," "ITT." Afrobeat started here; hopefully, a love affair with Fela's music will as well.

Fela Kuti's Nigerian Afrobeat remains a potent cultural force, inspiring rockers like TV on
the Radio as well as the producers who recently put on the Broadway musical FELA!
Coat-tailing the production, this two-CD/one-DVD anthology — leading off a 45-title (!) Fela
reissue series — is a solid introduction to a massive body of work. While the song selection
(including classics like the brass-balled superfunker "Zombie") is killer, recordin... More >