'BODEDEREK

Above, is a YouTube clip of Fela Kuti and Africa 70 performing a classic Afro-beat tune titled "Cross Examination." Although the performance took place at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1978, the sound has not dated and still sounds just as fresh and exciting today as it did at the time. It actually reminds me of the comprehensive show at the Africa Shrine in Lagos during those days. The live performances at Shrine were usually songs that Fela hadn't released and sometimes hadn't recorded. Fans were treated to music no-one else was aware of unless they came to a live show. This exclusivity brought fans and lovers of the genre. The song is a political tune, indicting the African Military dictators that monopolised power in a lot of the independent nations of the continent at that time. Accusing the soldiers of seizing power by force in military coups, also pointing out that some of these military rulers were the instruments used by the colonial m...

The Fela Bandwagon..(Conclusion): Someone once asked the reason why afro-beat music has become suddenly more popular, readily accepted and is growing stronger with time. I don't know for sure, but the answer could be the raw energy from the music.  Everyone has their own way of rationalising the sound. I loved the rhythm section when Tony Allen was drummer and leader of the backing band, Africa 70. He held sway over the percussive elements, led by example and kept the maverick players in check without stunting their natural growth as instrumentalists and musicians. The jazzy horn lines and witty vocals were for me, an added bonus. Fela himself was a first class musician who composed, arranged and oversaw all the material elements in the music. The man was a multi-instrumentalist. On stage, he played the keyboards, saxophone, sang and conducted the group's repertoire.  This is one of the reason I disagree with the many people that like to describe him as Africa's...

Fela Bandwagon contd... The world is watching and waiting for hits that will enhance and give the afro-beat genre a stronger foothold, keep it interesting until it gets passed on to the next generation. It's what Fela Kuti would have wanted.  I mentioned JK Brimah because Fela Kuti's personal and musical development wouldn't have been complete without the influence of JK. (A chapter is dedicated to JK in Fela's autobiography " This Bitch of A Life " written by Carlos Moore), the story is even more interesting when JK tells it. It annoys me that today's practitioners see JK (who is still alive and well) as an irrelevance, only good in their eyes when they want their undeserved validation. JK at a Party Other individuals who supported and encouraged Fela's musicality but today are given no credit, (especially during the years of strife and turmoil), were individuals like Tunde Kuboye , who ran The Jazz Club of Nigeria , promoted Afr...

Making Sense of the Fela Bandwagon: Fela Kuti died in 1997. His unexpected death was a blow to fans of afro-beat. Before Fela, the genre didn't exist. That alone, is a great achievement. We know that the music industry marginalised African music in general for decades. Fela's chaotic lifestyle, his uncompromising attitude, his politics and the music industry's bias, ensured that his music (as brilliant as it was), remained in the doldrums until after his death. A Felabration From 2003, the music emerged to take it's place exactly where it should have been. There became an awareness all over the globe. It created a wider fan base and even more appreciation for Fela's work. The tragedy is, Fela did not live long enough to see and enjoy the fruits of his labour. A lot of bands and artists have emerged trying to play afro-beat. Few have succeeded, often playing a watered down version of Fela's sound. None have come close to doing it as well a...

A taste of the Gambia and Senegal in one evening! It was Saturday 21st September and I was at Hackney Attic. Another evening of African music during the London african Music Festival. This one was presented by Laura Mills. I came to see Fofoula featuring members of Outhouse Ruhabi, the highly acclaimed Outhouse project with their own distinct sound. A creative vision that embraces each member's musical personality, combines and brings together a fresh and unique musical experience. The core of the music is mainly from the Gambia. African praise songs fused with guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, saxophone and the African Sabar created and underpinned by electronic sound textures. These musicians knew their stuff.   The audience was a mix of all nations coming together in peace and harmony to enjoy the musical experience.  The support band, Minn Jiarabi fronted by the charismatic guitarist, singer/songwriter from Senegal Abdoulaye Samb, were quite im...

Not An Average Rap Artist! Sister Fa can rap better than most. She can sing and her show is electrifying! I watched her at The Flyover Portobello on Friday, 20th September and was really mesmerised by her performance. Fatou Diatta a.k.a. Sister Fa has dominated Senegalese hip hop for most of the last decade with a powerful flow, great melodies and a bewitching personality. A symbol of the emerging liberation of African womanhood, her lyrics empower and inspires women of the world to assert themselves in a male dominated world. Her music is peppered with influences from hardcore rap, Senegalese pop and innovative reggae. Multilingual, she sings in French, English, Wolof, Manding and Jola. Her album 'Sarabah - Tales From The Flipside of Paradise' is very rich indeed, covering lots of styles and languages. A campaigner for women's right and a champion in the fight against female genital mutilation in Africa and the globe, it was unsurprising that there we...

UPSTAIRS AT THE RITZY!! A beautiful lady ascends the stage. Shy, she quietly picks up her guitar and sings us a song. Just her, and the guitar. Her voice was strong and she was so pretty. I knew I was going to have a great evening. Namvula  sings about her African roots with a great melodic voice. Her musicians were with her as we the audience were entertained. This event was part of the London African Music Festival. The shows have been spread through London and will conclude on Sunday 22nd September.   Mainstream music is thrust upon us all. Sometimes almost as much as we're deluged by information. I find it refreshing to stray from the over-beaten track and seek out different and more effective sounds. Found it last Sunday. Upstairs at the Ritzy in Brixton. The audience was a great one whose musical tastes seemed to have developed to like and appreciate the sophisticated folk songs and music from the African continent.   Namvula's was a ...