The relevance of afrobeat in the popular and world music markets and festival circuits around the globe these days is undeniable. A myriad of groups from all over the world have embraced this music, which emerged in Nigeria during the 1970s and had as one of its pioneers the talented, controversial, and politically combatant Fela Anikulapo Kuti. After his death in 1997, Fela’s musical heritage has not stopped influencing musicians in Africa, Europe and the Americas. The two-CD compilation Fela: The Best of the Black President 2 is the second installment of a series put together by Knitting Factory Records, and includes some of the most representative works of this pioneering Nigerian artist. The unidentified curator of this compilation deserves a special applause because choosing the best songs from Fela’s discography of 50-plus records must have been an extenuating enterprise.

Afrobeat’s origins are usually attributed to Fela and his group Africa 70, although the process of development of this music stems from previous stages, when Nigerian and other West African popular musicians and audiences were already heavily interacting with and consuming African American musics, like R&B and funk. Musically speaking, afrobeat is a mix of highlife (and other styles of West African popular music), traditional West African drums and chants music, and North American funk and jazz. The classic set-up for an afrobeat band is: drumkit, electric bass, electric guitar, congas, keyboard, a numerous brass section, lead vocals, and a big backing vocals crew. In particular, the rhythmic section, the extended horn or keyboard solos, as well as African English lyrics are all hallmarks of afrobeat.

This genre emerged in Nigeria as the expression of a strong and incendiary pro-Human Rights political agenda, led partially by Fela, in the context of the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Strong activism, after all, was part of Fela’s family—his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was one of the most prominent female activists and revolutionaries of 20th century Nigeria. This political drive is very present in Fela’s lyrics; he accuses corrupt governments of killings, oppression, slavery, and neglect.

A priceless jewel is the opening track, “Everything Scatter,” which talks about a political discussion between two Nigerians, one of which is accusing Fela’s crew of being troublemakers, while another passer-by defends them by claiming that it’s better to be a troublemaker than a sellout. Another representative classic is the closing song (track 6, CD 2), “Colonial Mentality,” which discusses how, despite the mid-20th century independence movements in Africa, the new African leaders had not been able to overcome the colonial mentality of repression, segregation, and exploitation of native populations.

This compilation is presented nicely, with beautiful photographs from Fela and his family. It also features artwork by Ghariokwu Lemi, the renowned Nigerian artist who designed most of Fela’s album covers. The accompanying 16-page booklet includes a foreword by R&B/hip-hop artist Akon and annotations to all the songs by afrobeat historian Chris May. A special deluxe edition is also available with a bonus DVD of Fela’s legendary 1983 Glastonbury concert plus a digital download of the compilation. If you are not familiar with Fela, his music, and his social impact, this is a perfect introduction for you. If you are close to his music, though, you probably already own most of these songs.