Fela Kuti [Archive] - AbsolutePunk.net

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 07:49 PM

one of the greatest & most important artists to have ever lived. while his legacy is prominently described in africa, his impact is universal. fela was a great musician & composer. skilled on the saxophone & keyboards, but also very handy with the trumpet, guitar & even made the occasional drum solo. while also being a fierce supporter of human rights, among other things. his musical legacy as the master afrobeat pioneer will never be forgotten

now what's afrobeat? well on a very basic level it's a fusion of jazz, primitive funk & many traditional african musical styles. exemplified by having african style percussion, vocals, & musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections, "endless groove" is also employed, often along side call & response vocals. fela's songs were always pretty lengthy, at least over ten minutes in length, some reaching the twenty or thirty minute marks. live, some tunes would last about 45 minutes. one of many reasons that his music never reached a large following outside of africa, at least not initially

fela’s band typically included huge line-ups consisting of many singers, dancers, numerous saxophonists, trumpeteers, drummers & percussionists, many guitarists blending african rhythms, & jazz horn lines, with strongly politicized song lyrics

his impact can be felt throughout the world, pretty much anything rhythmic has taken some form of influence from this man, be it funk, hip-hop, modern reggae/ska, pretty much all post-70's world music, etc

any fans, share some love & discussion?

thesafeword

08/31/08, 07:51 PM

I don't think that I have ever heard of any bands that you make threads about or recommend. How do you find stuff like this?

chipdip18

08/31/08, 08:05 PM

Link please! Sounds like it could be some great stuff.

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 08:29 PM

nevuk (if you're ever lurking), you & your free jazz ways might appreciate some these tunes mate

I don't think that I have ever heard of any bands that you make threads about or recommend. How do you find stuff like this?

world music relates to soo many genres, ska, funk, reggae, soul, folk & so much more. if you're enthusiastic about, you tend to just find these things. same as people who are into pop-punk i'm guessing, i have no idea what half of them are talking about, or who the hell the ergs are haha. but in this case, fela is an internationally recognized legend in music
Link please! Sounds like it could be some great stuff.

i'm not sure what's on that myspace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfi le&friendID=48993858), since the players never load for me anymore. he might take some getting used to, this isn't anything like you'd ever find in mainstream (or otherwise) america haha. as for albums, anything like expensive shit, gentlemen, shakara, confusion, roforofo fight are all fantastic stuff

chipdip18

08/31/08, 08:30 PM

Well it's definitely worth a listen. I'll hear it out.

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 08:34 PM

good man, hopefully something takes to your liking, some crazy stuff there. i actually made this thread because i was about to make one about one of his children, who released a great album this year. but i couldn't make one about his on first, would be a crime! i'll try find you an album or two as well mate, i love that you're a regular

chipdip18

08/31/08, 08:36 PM

I'm listening to the song Colomentality right now. I'm really digging actually. Reggae vocals meet funk bass and horn sections and jazz drumming with smooth layers of keys and back-up vocals.

IWasaCamera

08/31/08, 08:49 PM

I have Zombie as well as Expensive Shit and have heard No Bread, Yellow Fever, and Black President. What do I check out next?

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 09:00 PM

I'm listening to the song Colomentality right now. I'm really digging actually. Reggae vocals meet funk bass and horn sections and jazz drumming with smooth layers of keys and back-up vocals.

very cool, some of his music is soo intense & voices some very very strong opinions. the more you understand the artist the more you'll probably respect him. in the sense that he spoke out on many topics he was specifically warned against by government & militant groups, all of which employed thugs to beat him, his family, burn his musical tapes, imprison him etc. yet they could never keep his message from reaching the masses, not to mention his music from influencing the world. but his tunes are not only strong willed, it's very empowering & enjoyable, deep rhythmic groove

I have Zombie as well as Expensive Shit and have heard No Bread, Yellow Fever, and Black President. What do I check out next?

oh nice, good to see another fan. any of gentlemen, confusion (those two have since been released as one album), roforofo fight, shakara

IWasaCamera

08/31/08, 09:12 PM

oh nice, good to see another fan. any of gentlemen, confusion (those two have since been released as one album), roforofo fight, shakara
On it, thanks.

chipdip18

08/31/08, 10:42 PM

very cool, some of his music is soo intense & voices some very very strong opinions. the more you understand the artist the more you'll probably respect him. in the sense that he spoke out on many topics he was specifically warned against by government & militant groups, all of which employed thugs to beat him, his family, burn his musical tapes, imprison him etc. yet they could never keep his message from reaching the masses, not to mention his music from influencing the world. but his tunes are not only strong willed, it's very empowering & enjoyable, deep rhythmic groove

oh nice, good to see another fan. any of gentlemen, confusion (those two have since been released as one album), roforofo fight, shakara

Wow. Sounds like another potential music hero.

recall reality

08/31/08, 10:50 PM

I've always really enjoyed Zombie, such a great record, but I've never taken the time to check anything else out. Any recommendation on what to give a listen to next?

chipdip18

08/31/08, 10:51 PM

I've always really enjoyed Zombie, such a great record, but I've never taken the time to check anything else out. Any recommendation on what to give a listen to next?

oh nice, good to see another fan. any of gentlemen, confusion (those two have since been released as one album), roforofo fight, shakara

Go with what he says.

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 11:00 PM

I've always really enjoyed Zombie, such a great record, but I've never taken the time to check anything else out. Any recommendation on what to give a listen to next?

expensive shit is a must & you might enjoy a couple others mentioned in here. i'll no doubt make a thread sometime soon about seun kuti's new album, which is bloody good too

recall reality

08/31/08, 11:02 PM

expensive shit is a must & you might enjoy a couple others mentioned in here. i'll no doubt make a thread sometime soon about seun kuti's new album, which is bloody good too

Definitely getting on this now, thanks.

chipdip18

08/31/08, 11:07 PM

Oh Craig, I'm seeing Xavier Rudd live tomorrow.

El_Jeffe

08/31/08, 11:15 PM

Oh Craig, I'm seeing Xavier Rudd live tomorrow.

two craig's in one thread, but i'll answer this one for us haha. straight up? that's awesome! i can't get enough of his new album & have always wanted to see him live since... years ago haha. but like many, he skips over nz too often, but one day i hope to get the chance. definitely let me know how kickass it is sometime haha

chipdip18

08/31/08, 11:17 PM

two craig's in one thread, but i'll answer this one for us haha. straight up? that's awesome! i can't get enough of his new album & have always wanted to see him live since... years ago haha. but like many, he skips over nz too often, but one day i hope to get the chance. definitely let me know how kickass it is sometime haha

Haha yeah i did mean you, but yeah i'll let you know! I'm sure it'll be awesome.

chipdip18

09/05/08, 11:38 PM

mmmm

El_Jeffe

09/06/08, 12:34 AM

feelin' this mate? kuti's music has played such a massive hand in influencing music all the way round the world, western or not. so powerful, deep & unrelenting

chipdip18

09/06/08, 12:47 AM

Yeah i am digging it. I was checking the discography on wiki and it is huge.

El_Jeffe

09/06/08, 12:57 AM

that's awesome. haha it sure is, i'm far from having it all, but i can't seem to stop buying it either. so far, it's all so consistent & wonderful

one of his children, seun kuti (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=517461) released a great album this year mate. do you do those yearly lists? i do, but it's more of a keeping track of what came out this year than anything else haha

chipdip18

09/06/08, 01:00 AM

Haha i see. No, i usually don't make lists. I'll give this a listen though.

chipdip18

09/06/08, 01:02 AM

Are most of his albums under his name or under Africa 70?

El_Jeffe

09/06/08, 01:09 AM

under fela. africa 70 (later named eygpt 80) is fela's usual backing band. but searching for a reliable online source that has his entire discography as a reference is about as much use as a trap door on a lifeboat, because as far as i'm aware... there just ain't one haha

chipdip18

09/06/08, 01:12 AM

Haha alright. I think i'm going to look for Expensive Shit and Zombies.

KatieKutthroat.

09/06/08, 09:10 AM

The only album I have is Expensive Shit, haven't gotten around to picking up any others. Which one should I look for next?

Jumpoff

09/06/08, 09:41 AM

I don't think that I have ever heard of any bands that you make threads about or recommend. How do you find stuff like this?

Fela Kuti is relatively well known :shrug:

I need to start listening to more from him when I get the chance. The 20 minute songs kind of make it harder for me to listen to him on a daily basis though haha.

El_Jeffe

09/06/08, 04:04 PM

The only album I have is Expensive Shit, haven't gotten around to picking up any others. Which one should I look for next?

you're a fan too? haha this is why you need to post everyday! so young, so awesome! but on with the music, zombie & the gentlemen are great next steps

Fela Kuti is relatively well known :shrug:

I need to start listening to more from him when I get the chance. The 20 minute songs kind of make it harder for me to listen to him on a daily basis though haha.

can be a bit much for some people i know. but the more worldly ways you're into, the more you grow to love (& somewhat expect) that sort of thing haha. someone like yourself must be able to hear the strong influence he's had on hip-hop though

KatieKutthroat.

09/06/08, 04:06 PM

you're a fan too? haha this is why you need to post everyday! so young, so awesome! but on with the music, zombie & the gentlemen are great next steps

Haha, I'm a fan of what I've heard, but granted I haven't heard much. And I'd love to get back to posting every day but i'm so loaded with schoolwork, i can't seem to make time. :-( But when I get the chance I'll definitely check those out.

chipdip18

10/29/08, 04:48 PM

Finally finally found Expensive Shit. I'm diggin the groovy jams.

El_Jeffe

10/29/08, 04:58 PM

awesome bump & good to see you round. i'm stoked you're enjoying this mate because not only is fela's music beyond greatness, it's also such a gateway to so many other new & exciting forms of music out in the world. there seems to be this ever so slowly growing appreciation & interest in roots music round ap lately. i've been doing my best over the past couple years to carefully & subtly nurture it, & i think it's almost beginning to really blossom!

i would have loved to have seen fela live, the man played continuously for hours, in what were some of the most powerful musical, social, political gatherings ever

chipdip18

10/29/08, 05:21 PM

i actually saw a live recording of him at the record store, i was tempting, but it was out of my price range and i thought i'd stick to the recommended album haha.

Jumpoff

10/29/08, 05:29 PM

Are there any other afrobeat artists near as big as Fela?

El_Jeffe

10/29/08, 05:45 PM

i actually saw a live recording of him at the record store, i was tempting, but it was out of my price range and i thought i'd stick to the recommended album haha.

i'm not too sure just what he has in respect to live dvds etc. they seem to be few & far between in this part of the world. tough to track down

Are there any other afrobeat artists near as big as Fela?

yea there's a lot of others, but none as big. every single one came after & takes influence from fela, who was the original creator, pioneer, & just the downright best

chipdip18

10/29/08, 05:49 PM

i'm not too sure just what he has in respect to live dvds etc. they seem to be few & far between in this part of the world. tough to track down

Should have grabbed it then? Haha.

harveyn590

09/07/09, 11:54 AM

Just got Expensive Shit, so good! Thanks for pointing me on where to begin my Fela journey everyone ha

El_Jeffe

09/07/09, 03:27 PM

the man was an absolute legend, one of the pinnacles of music, that never gets the respect he deserves from western music culture. but i'm glad you got into him mate, great album

chipdip18

09/08/09, 01:49 AM

I still listen to Fela because his music is gorgeous. Expensive Shit and Zombies are fantastic.

El_Jeffe

02/27/10, 02:10 AM

Bumping because no matter how much time passes, this man's music is immortal. One of the most hugely important pieces to the musical puzzle. I can't get over his music, & how crucial it is, in my view, for everyone to check him out. Let it sit with you a while, because everything about his music is the complete opposite to what you "expect" from music as a western music fan & can take a while to digest. But wow, so much power, in every sense of the word, surging through his music, his rhythm, his messages, himself.

BensonHedges

02/27/10, 07:53 AM

There's currently a Broadway show about Fela and featuring his music, played live by an onstage band. It's pretty awesome. The dude playing djembe especially. I really dig the grooves on a lot of his stuff and while the lyrics aren't as accessible to me, they're kind of like a lesson that you want to learn.

Praetor

02/27/10, 07:56 AM

Pat k

02/27/10, 09:18 AM

Yeah, those reissues are pretty exciting! I listen to different African music most of the time, but Fela is dope for sure.

IWasaCamera

02/27/10, 12:22 PM

Mmmm Confusion.

briewer

02/27/10, 12:24 PM

Why haven't I listened to Fela Kuti yet? Mysteries are all around us.

El_Jeffe

02/27/10, 01:00 PM

Sometimes I wonder if the "America vs The UK" in terms of musical importance is even a valid argument, Africa had it all.

briewer

02/27/10, 01:01 PM

Sometimes I wonder if the "America vs The UK" in terms of musical importance is even a valid argument, Africa had it all.
I can definitely get behind this thinking.

IWasaCamera

02/27/10, 01:14 PM

Those US vs. UK debates seldom go anywhere because the grounds on which the issue is assessed vary from one individual to the next. Some go with their subjectively determined "objective" standard of quality (i.e. personal preference), others go with importance/influence, and then there are those who simply choose the side they're more familiar with. It's usually a pain to read through.

Anyway, back on topic. The two full-lengths Craig rec'd me (Confusion and Gentleman) in here ended up being two of my three favorites from Fela. Gentleman's closer (too many words for me to remember the exact title haha) sports such an intoxicating, laid back groove.

El_Jeffe

02/27/10, 01:28 PM

I'm glad you got such enjoyment out them mate. Fela has such an incredible body of work, there is no weak point in it, as far as I've come across. I was listening to Underground System last night, which is what inspired this bump. Still so hypnotic & powerful.

IWasaCamera

02/27/10, 01:41 PM

Thanks again for suggesting them.

Of his later work, Beasts Of No Nation is my favorite. Such a fiery album to get lost in.

El_Jeffe

05/09/10, 02:14 AM

Bumping this because this is without a doubt one artist everyone out there need to give some attention. One of the most incredible & crucially important artists of all-time.

Also, throughout last night, today & tonight I've spun - Sorrow Tears & Blood, Underground System, Expensive Shit, Ikoyi Blindness, Confusion, & now listening to Zombie. It's obviously allll been about Fela, & I love it!