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Fela Kuti / Fela Ransom-Kuti & The Africa '70 w/ Ginger Baker--LIVE!
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| Fela Kuti was the Nigerian born purveyor of funky tribal beats which continue to shake the world's foundations. A recent casualty of the AIDS virus ravaging all of Africa, Kuti lived and played hard. Like Bob Marley, his music had strong consciousness raising power mixed into its heavy afro-funk rhythms. His political messages were not lost on the Nigerian military dictatorship he often sang about, and Kuti was imprisoned on several occasions. Still, he never lost sight of the fact that the music was as important as the message, and his bands were always tight and talented enough to muster much groove. A disciple of James Brown, Kuti masterfully used horns as part of his rhythm section to great affect. He added a strong dose of African percussion, fat bass lines, and some electrified instruments like pianos, organs, or guitars to complicate the rhythm hypnotically. On this live recording, the newly formed Africa '70 is joined by former-Cream drummer and fan, Ginger Baker. Baker, amazingly, fits right in, showing a restraint and intensity seldom found in showy rock drummers during his single solo on "Ye Ye De Smell." But Baker's presence is little more than a side show here, as it is the cumulative power of the band as a whole that really shapes the album's thickly layered grooves. Kuti's prowess on the keyboards is in strong evidence throughout, adding the necessary color and melodic voicing over the throbbing rhythm. His voice is raw with soul power. The band behind him is relentless, pushing forward into some of the hardest funk territory ever explored in the African continent, particularly on Kuti's hit, "Black Man's Cry." As a newly formed unit, this band was out to prove just how bad-ass they really were, and this jamming performance from Kuti's early days demonstrates just how well they succeeded. ---John Ballon (email)
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