To begin describing the epic importance of Fela Kuti is to write a doctoral thesis on the history of African music from before his birth to the present day. To understand the impact the music of a person such as Fela is to consider the history of struggle, prejudice, racism, and political disenfranchisement as an understandable whole. In the music of Fela Kuti, we see these positive undercurrents of political awakening, consciousness, activism, empowerment and liberation. These values are what make the messages embedded in the work of Fela Kuti’s Afro-Beat so impactful—his unrelentless passion and uninhibited genius, all of which contribute to the creativity and beautiful art that can arise from the unjust and unwarranted experience of oppression. With Fela’s passing in 1997, there has been a resurgence of interest in his music, history and message. For this reason, the positive-thinking folks at Now-Again have put together a cool compilation that presents a small sampling of those that Fela Kuti inspired (it should be everyone, but compiler Egon had to make some tough administrative decisions to bring it down to the rare and beautiful 15 tracks we find ourselves with in this elaborate and carefully-crafted release).
The compilation, titled Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti showcases the myriad of ways in which Fela has been able to affect people through his music and ideas. The first track on the comp, a cover of Fela’s 1972 “Shakara,” has been reworked by Colombia’s Cumbia Moderna de Soledad as “Shacalao,” a rhythm-heavy homage to both the African roots of Colombia’s popular cumbia genre and to the historical turning points that prompted its development such as the transatlantic slave trade and the years of segregation that plagued the neocolonial dictatorships of South America. Also on the album is another rendition of “Shacalao” by Colombian cumbiador Lisandro Meza, an important musician in the development and popularization of cumbia music. Further into the release we have “Black and Proud” by the 6th Infantry Brigade of the Nigerian Army as well as some standout pair of tracks by Bola Johnson. “Black and Proud” is an inspirational track that directly traces its lineage to the power of Fela’s words through to a triumphant and jovial expression of Nigerian identity.
Rounding off the album is what compiler Egon has categorized as “Modern Inspirations” as opposed to those who were creating music alongside him in ‘70s Nigeria, Ghana, Trinidad, and Colombia. Outstandingly well-placed, The Whitefield Brothers’ psychedelic soul-jazz funk sound comes correct with the track “Lullaby for Lagos,” a soft flute-driven instrumental melody of serenity that serves as the close to the timeless quality of the collection. Daktaris’ entry (“Up Side Down”) and Karl Hector and the Malcouns’ (“Toure Samar”) contributions are informed compositions that reference the same vitality that raced through the veins of Fela’s instrumentation. Additionally, The Sylvania East Side Symphony’s contribution, which is lively, danceable, and triumphant, serves as the inspiration for the album’s title: “Egbi Mi O” (Black Man’s Cry). Contributions by Afro-Cuban and funk group Phirpo y Sus Caribes and their track “Comencemos,” which is a cover of “Let’s Start” written by Fela Kuti—provide more examples of the Latin flavorings that stemmed from Fela’s intercontinental visionary impact.
Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti is a geographical tracing of various lineages of music that were inspired by Fela’s distinct, emotive, and infectious sound. These hard-to-find and largely out-of-print selections all contribute to the imaging of the diasporic communities that his music prompted and helped create. Fela, in being a benefactor to the evolution of distinct regional sounds throughout the world, has expressed a shared musical ancestry that speaks to not only Africans, but to the world as a unified whole. Obviously, this is an important album for far more reasons than discussed above. This compilation is a tribute to one of the core originators to many of the genres, subgenres, and fusion acts we listen to today. As a cultural artifact this album notes a period of transition, a bridge to the sonic innovations of the present-day while acknowledging their historical and social antecedents that demanded their creation—the fury of Fela is still felt and will continue to be a fountain of inspiration for those who seek it—Thank you and keep on playing, Fela.
Dan Satch and his Atomic 8 Dance Band: “Woman Pin Down” from Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti
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