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Improvisations
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Tennessee Tribune, Improvisations >>
African music gets widespread exposure and coverage in almost every nation except America, where only a handful of releases even appear in domestic stores and radio airplay is limited to specialty stations and satellite radio. But fans interested in hearing outstanding recent releases from the continent shouldn't miss three current releases focusing on both classic and contemporary recordings.
The first features the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the creator of Afrobeat and arguably the most important figure in African music circles for the last half of the 20th century. Kuti's lengthy songs, many of them 20 minutes or longer, blended jazz, highlife, funk and African rhythms, creating surging and unrelenting protest sound that was augmented by booming, hypnotic grooves underneath. It was both heavily political and remarkably funky, a sound that could make you think even as it also enticed movement and dance. Kuti's targets were imperialism, racism and corrup tion, and he didn't hesitate to attack the various juntas who ruled his native Nigeria for most of his life. These govern ments in turn frequently harassed and imprisoned Kuti, at one point burning down his home and on another occasion beating him savagely and smashing his hands to the point he was unable to play the sax or piano for many months. Other times he was denied visas to travel overseas, but Kuti still managed to get the word out for many years about the plight of Nigerians specifically and Africans in general.
Though he's been dead now nearly eight years, Kutids blazing songs of freedom and anger still resonate across the world. The new two-CD, single DVD package - The Best of Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon (Wrasse/Universal) gathers 13 of his finest selections on two audio discs, and also contains a fabulous filmed documentary Music Is The Weapon that was shot in Lagos 23 years ago, when Fela was just emerging as an international force. The film includes previously unseen footage of performances of such classics as "ITT," "Army Arrangement," "Power Show" and "Authority Stealing," and also takes viewers inside Kuti's famed "Kalakuta Republic" headquarters that were eventually burned to the ground by the military and his "Shrine" nightclub. The only criticism of the package concerns the edited versions of many classic Fela songs. If you've heard the full renditions of "Gentleman," "Water No Get Enemy," "No Agreement," "Shuffering and shmiling," "Coffin for Head of State" or "Army Arrangement," while these new edited performances are excellent, it's hard not to be disappointed.
But the constraints of CD recording made it impossible to put the full-length songs on this set. As an abridged presen tation, it still gives a full and effective view of Fela Kuti's greatness, but those anxious to hear Kuti in all his glory should get as many of the 25 recently remastered Kuti discs they can find, many of them containing two complete vinyl albums on one CD. Best of Fela Kuti provides a nice overview of his greatness, but it is far from the complete item.
-Ron Wynn 04/21/05
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