With a potential New York trip planned for a few days later this month, it upsets me that I could miss this chance to celebrate one of Africa's, and the world's, most interesting and original artists of the last century. Knitting Factory Records have decided to, out of the blue, re-master nine of Fela Kuti's albums from the 1969-1974 time frame.
During this era, Fela created the sound he was to call Afrobeat, a music he saw as a modern form of danceable, African classical music, created out of a cross-breeding of funk, jazz, salsa, and calypso, with juju, highlife, and African percussive patterns. These titles illustrate the evolution not only of his new Afrobeat sound and his experiments with lengthy improvisation, but also his emerging political voice, which was to become more scathing and direct as he got older.
The nine album collection is called Chop N' Quench and we have been provided with a virtual sampler for us all to enjoy. Even a free mp3. Sweet! For purchase links and more details check the Knitting Factory records website here.
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