MTV holds its first African music awards Nov 25, 2008
Famous African artists include Senegal's Youssou N'dour, Nigerian legend Fela Kuti and South African impresario Miriam Makeba, who died this month. MTV hopes the awards can offer the artists more exposure and celebrate the continent's artistry. (Xinhuanet, China)
Nigerians sweep MTV Africa awards Nov 24, 2008
The legend gong went to the late Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat. The award was received by the star's children, Yemi and Seun. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
MTV Launches African Music Awards Nov 23, 2008
Famous African artists include Senegal's Youssou N'dour, Nigerian legend Fela Kuti and South African impresario Miriam Makeba, who died this month. (). (Time.com)
A rock star is born Oct 21, 2008
Its best song, "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games," is held in place by a rolling bass line and a mechanical kick drum inspired by the insistent grooves of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. And just in case it wasn't obvious that Barnes was looking beyond the psych-pop continuum for fresh inspiration, the album's credits read, "produced, arranged, composed, performed, engineered, and mixed by," with "Prince" crossed out and "Kevin Barnes" written in. (Salon)
Nigerians Celebrate Late Afrobeat Legend Fela Kuti Oct 20, 2008
Thousands In Nigeria Pay Homage To Late Afrobeat Legend And Political Dissident Fela Kuti ... (AP) Thousands of Afrobeat enthusiasts danced through the night in a cavernous warehouse to celebrate what would have been the 70th birthday of late Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti ... Fela Kuti created the Afrobeat genre in the 1960s by combining African sounds with a fusion of jazz, Rk and soul music. (CBS News -- World)
Blue King Brown Oct 17, 2008
The band, which has swelled to a nine-piece since the pair moved to Melbourne and set out to re-create the expansive, socially conscious groove of '70s greats such as Fela Kuti, has built a large audience nationally since the release of their 2006 debut album, Stand Up. Their recent gigs in North America - their first headlining tour - were a test of the band's endurance. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Peermusic forms partnership with Ghana’s Kampsite Oct 17, 2008
As part of the partnership, Kampsite has signed a co-publishing deal with peermusic to exploit the Kampsite catalog outside of the West African market, said Kampsite owner Chief Victor Tieku, former guitarist/bassist with Fela Kuti s Egypt 80 band and chief of the Ghana village of Ekumfi Takiman. But before any song exploitation can begin, Kampsite will work with peermusic to help develop the domestic infrastructure needed for composers to collect royalties for use of their works. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Afrobeats King, Recrowned Sep 5, 2008
If you never got to see famed African musician and political activist, Fela Kuti live, actor Sahr Ngaujah brings him back to life in his Nigerian nightclub, The Shrine. With his chorus line of African dancing girls; a smoking-hot, 10-piece band; and the spirit of his mother Funmilayo, a feminist leader, in the air, FELA. (New York Times)
Wild times with Panther Aug 16, 2008
Together, the two wrote "14 Kt. God," an album, Salas-Humara says, that "owes more to Black Flag than Fela Kuti." Both reference points are telling. "14 Kt. God" relies on a host of international influences, from the sinewy thump of "Beautiful Condo" to "Total Sexy Church," an instrumental track looped above the rattle of a few hand drums. (Boston Globe)
GOING OUT: LIVE MUSIC Aug 7, 2008
Inspired by musical pioneer Fela Kuti, NOMO is a groove-heavy Afrobeat group that first formed at the University of Michigan. Be extra nice to them, because the band's eight members are travelling in one van with no trailer. (Globe and Mail)
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas McCarthy May 29, 2008
Haas watched this Fela Kuti documentary and he goes, "Oh, there's this one scene where he's smoking a joint and he's always in his underwear and he's not wearing a shirt." And I went, "The underwear thing is f*cking great." And we made it a part of [the movie] and it turned out to be a really nice theme. Walter's at home in his boxers doing it, and it's like that's an actor doing his homework and me feeding off of that. (IGN FilmForce)
Out of Africa May 18, 2008
This year's Addis festival included a French jazz group from Toulouse, Les Tigres des Platanes, whose repertoire covers Fela Kuti, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and assorted Ethiopian tracks. Falceto plans to record them alongside Ethiopian singer Etenesh Wassie. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
'Six Feet Under's' Jenkins in 'The Visitor' Apr 19, 2008
" For scenes in which Jenkins is simply eating lunch in Washington Square Park, McCarthy used a small crew and very few extras. Passers-by probably figured that he was filming a commercial, which gave the shoot practical and aesthetic advantages, McCarthy believes. In researching the immigrant-detainee experience, McCarthy and Jenkins visited prisoners in high-security facilities, where they were allowed short, timed conversations with the inmates through thick glass. McCarthy and Jenkins picked... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Thomas Mapfumo & Blacks Unlimited Apr 18, 2008
Mapfumo, playing in Australia for the first time this month, is a hero in his homeland - some put him in the pantheon with Jamaica's Bob Marley (born the same year, 1945) and Nigeria's Fela Kuti. He pioneered a rich, infectious style known as "chimurenga" (struggle) music, melding African rhythms and bobbing Zimbabwean mbira (thumb piano) with Western elements alongside his affecting voice. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Vampire Weekend bites into passport rock Mar 27, 2008
(Fela Kuti, the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist who helped popularize the "Afrobeat" sound, is a band favorite. The goal of Vampire Weekend, Baio said, was "to get a band together using rock instruments that wouldn't sound like a traditional rock band." Though the group chose to define itself with African music, none of the members had ever been to Africa. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Silencing the drums of war Mar 20, 2008
Shortly before his death in 1997, the Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti declared that "music is the weapon of the future". Since then, however, more than $3 trillion has been spent on far deadlier weapons of war which are fought in the name of peace and stability. (Aljazeera.Net)
African goddess| Mar 9, 2008
West Africa is not bereft of great vocal talent one has to look at the likes of Youssou Ndour, Angelique Kidjo and the late Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti (an Asa favourite) to know this. There can be little doubt that Asa is destined to join that celestial choir. (iAfrica.com)
Is A-Plus a musician or politician? Jan 28, 2008
Was Fela Kuti a politician. Is the American group, Black Eyed Peas politicians. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Jean's Jazz Series kicks off with concert inspired by Mardi Gras Jan 24, 2008
Afrobeat, a musical genre named by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, is a combination of Yoruba music, jazz, Highlife, funk rhythms and African percussion which was popularized in Africa in the 1970s. I tend to tell people that it is African rhythms and percussion mixed with James Brown, said Smith. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Aphrodesia returns to Afrobeat roots Jan 8, 2008
These days, Afrobeat - an intoxicating mix of funk, jazz and traditional African music - is more popular in America and around the world than it ever was in the heyday of Fela Kuti, Femi's father and the genre's founder, who died in 1997. Yet, back in 2002, when Aphrodesia started out, "it was us and Antibalas," says Gale, referring to the popular Brooklyn Afrobeat orchestra. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Afrobeat band doesn't take the express route Jan 7, 2008
The Afrobeat-based band from San Francisco was inspired by a trip to Africa that found them traveling from Ghana to Nigeria, bribing unofficial guards at the Benin-Nigeria border and facing a harrowing encounter with soldiers before ultimately hooking up with Femi Kuti, son of Fela Kuti, for a performing rendezvous in Lagos. "Lagos by Bus" is uneventful by comparison. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
Sound off: Brit bands reign supreme in 2007 Jan 4, 2008
Blur frontman and Gorillaz gatekeeper Damon Albarn compiled an all-star cast of musicians Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen. The band also pulled in mega underground producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Dangerdoom). (Kingston Mariner, MA)
Go see four great local bands Nov 30, 2007
" In other words, see them now or you could be waiting a very long time. Web site: , The Selmanaires Who they are: Drummer Jason Harris, guitarist Herb Harris, bassist Tommy Chung, guitarist Mathis Hunter. Everyone pitches in on vocals and a variety of other instruments. Have a listen: "Here Come the Selmanaires," the band's groovy debut. And be sure to grab "The Air Salesman" when it comes out in January, because it might be even better. If you like: Their MySpace page includes a daunting list... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
More of this story Nov 24, 2007
The experimental sounds from the band, upstage of the performers throughout the show, mix recognizable influences: Kohl, who is a co-composer along with Paris Hurley, Alex Guy and Jeffrey Huston, mentioned Japanese folk songs, punk, African music (Fela Kuti), scat and classical (Stravinsky). There are even some "musical quotations" from Franz Schubert and famous scat singer Shooby Taylor. (Los Angeles Downtown News, CA)
Nigeria: Speaker's Debacle is Only a Tip of the Iceberg [analysis] Nov 9, 2007
com: Nigeria: Africa Insight - Speaker's Debacle is Only a Tip of the Iceberg (Page 1 of 2). Use our pull-down menus to find more stories. (allAfrica.com)
Feel the Beat Nov 2, 2007
The guitarist and founding member of Chicago Afrobeat Project first found the polyrhythmic blend of traditional African drumming and vocal harmonies, improvised jazz soloing and the blistering high energy of American funk while listening to the pioneer of the musical style Fela Kuti. The mix of styles and furious energy spoke to him, and he said from that day forth he would play a style that simultaneously pays homage to the past while forging forward into new territories of musical creation. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Indie bands' cross-cultural wave Oct 22, 2007
Fronted by the Kiev-born Eugene Hutz, Gogol Bordello mixes Slavic and Balkan music with punk rock and plenty of other styles, peppered with lyrics addressing the immigrant experience and "cultural revolution." Antibalas has revived and advanced Afrobeat, the Africanized funk fusion pioneered by the Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti, from whom they have also adopted a strong anti-authoritarian demeanor. Both bands have addictively kinetic new records and are beginning to attract wider attention. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Africa's top anthem Oct 19, 2007
Credited with the invention of Afro-beat, iconic Nigerian band leader and saxophonist Fela Kuti and his Nigeria 70 band released Lady in the early 1970s, praising the traditional African woman. Malaika by Miriam Makeba. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Slain Burkina leader remembered Oct 16, 2007
The only fond memories, I have about this great son of Africa, could be summarised by the song - US (Underground System) dedicated to him by the great Fela Kuti. May his ghost continue to haunt all reactionary forces in Africa, who are holding us down from reaching our potentials. (BBC News -- Africa)
Paris goes ape for Albarn's new show Sep 27, 2007
The Good The Bad and The Queen is a sort of pop "supergroup" comprising Albarn, former The Clash bass player Paul Simonon, ex-The Verve guitarist Simon Tong and the ex-drummer for Nigerian star Fela Kuti, Tony Allen. In between he has founded his own record label, Honest Jon's, which he used to release the album 'Mali Music' in 2002, a collection of songs recorded by artists from the West African nation. (iAfrica.com)
Malleable Aesthetics Sep 16, 2007
The electro-dub envoy listens to the Velvet Underground, the Orb, Fela Kuti, Happy Mondays and De La Soul. In many ways, this is Beat Pharmacy's most mature album. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Mixing Music and Politics in Africa Sep 5, 2007
Growing up in a working-class section of Senegal's capital Dakar, Kane listened to European music on the radio and fell in love with the Nigerian Afro-beat pioneer Fela Kuti, whose own music reflected a melee of African and Western styles. As is common in his home country, Kane had trouble finding work. (Time.com)
Melding sweet soul music with Afrobeat Aug 22, 2007
At the start of the new second album by the Budos Band, simply titled "The Budos Band II," a double blast of horns ushers in a liquid groove that channels the spirit of Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and a generation of Afro-funk innovators. It's to the point of osmosis, but this isn't Lagos circa 1972: It's New York City in 2007, at a time when Brooklyn hipster label Daptone has become curator and celebrant of an old-school soul revival. (Boston Globe)
She shall overcome Aug 8, 2007
At home, he played records by Pink Floyd, Fela Kuti and Bob Marley. Friends would send him tapes of new US acts like Snoop Dogg, TLC and Genuwine, which Ayo would secretly steal. (Guardian Unlimited)
Afrobeat band in VC Saturday Aug 3, 2007
The sound is aggressive and brassy, informed by world fusion artists like Fela Kuti and Zimbabwe s Thomas Mapfumo, and brought up to date with a mash of spacey global inflections (think of Herbie s Headhunters shanghaied in West Africa, and you ll be up to speed). For details, visit www. (Montana Standard, MT)
Afrobeat iconIs Fela Kuti's revolutionary music still relevant today? Aug 3, 2007
Fela Kuti's Nigeria: 10 years on ... Fela Kuti was a hero to millions ... Click on the link below to send us your memories of Fela Kuti. (BBC News -- Africa)
'He was in a godlike state' Jul 25, 2007
Fela Kuti was idolised as a rebel and martyr in Nigeria - yet in the west, we know him only for his Afrobeat music and his 27 wives ... Fela Kuti during a concert in Paris in 1986 ... The Kalakuta Republic, as it's known, is the commune that once belonged to the Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti. (Guardian Unlimited)
Mossbrae Music Festival comes to Dunsmuir Jul 14, 2007
honors the fiery legacy of Nigerian icon Fela Kuti a musical and political voice on par with Bob Marley, according the the All Music Guide. According to the release, members have performed with Fela Kutis Africa 70 and Michael Franti's Spearhead. (Yreka Siskiyou Daily News, CA)
Marsalis's Congo Square digs into the roots of jazz Jun 30, 2007
"This year, it's the 10th anniversary of the death of [Nigerian musician] Fela Kuti, the father of Seun and Femi Kuti, so to commemorate that, we decided to do something special about Afrobeat. "Fela is to Afrobeat what Bob Marley is to Reggae. He was the creator of it. (CBC.ca)
African Union Govt would be pointless if... Jun 29, 2007
He reminded the audience of his hay days with Hedjorle Sounds of Ghana and Fela Kuti of Nigeria, performing songs like Mama Africa and African Woman, both of which he played the trumpet. Masekela would not leave the stage without performing the single song that made his name big "Bring Back Nelson Mandela" and the audience could not tell the difference between the Masekela in his sixties and the Masekela in his youthful days. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The albums that changed music Jun 25, 2007
FELA KUTI FRIKA 70 'Zombie' (1976) 25 minutes that shattered Western stereotypes of African music. Felas discordant horn solos and drummer Tony Allens polyrhythmic percussion fuelled a cacophonic fusion of jazz, funk, West African highlife and traditional Nigerian Yoruba chants into a ridiculously catchy Afrobeat classic that was also a razor-sharp black consciousness critique of post-colonial African politics and identity. (iAfrica.com)
Famous five: Why The Traveling Wilburys are the ulimate supergroup Jun 21, 2007
The group's debut album (its title refers to the people of London) is an alternative rock collaboration between Albarn, Paul Simonon of The Clash, The Verve's Simon Tong and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen. The 12-track record received almost uniformly positive reviews and in an interview with NME last March, Albarn announced plans to produce a "totally different, more funky" record this autumn. (Belfast Telegraph)
Why do gyms play such crappy music? (65) Jun 18, 2007
Letters: Why do gyms play such crappy music. Monday, Jun 18, 2007. (Salon)
Gigging Montreal to Madrid, Taos to Turku Jun 11, 2007
The Spaghetti Western Orchestra plays a tribute show to legendary Italian soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone and more than 20 Afro beat acts gather to pay tribute on the 10th anniversary of the death of Fela Kuti. Tightwads more interested in spending on beer and beaver tails can check out the 350 free shows that take place across the city during the festival. (Boston Globe)
Central Park SummerStage 2007 Concert Calendar May 23, 2007
Reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly has become the musical conscience of his native Cote dIvoire by merging the spiritual optimism of Bob Marley with the political activism of Fela Kuti ... Femis performance will be followed by a screening of Music As A Weapon, the 1982 film by Stephane Tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori that remains the definitive documentary on Fela Kuti and his times ... Fela Kutis influence on black contemporary music cannot be overestimated; virtually all modern forms of... (WNBC.com, NY)
Bill T. Jones and a 'narrative of trauma' May 23, 2007
He gives it about two beats, in terms of the flowing, highly tactile dance movement for which he's known, and then adds, a little sheepishly: "Of course, I am working on another musical, you know. And on that one, I'm writing the book with a dramaturge, and I'm directing and choreographing. It's on the life of Fela Kuti.". Fela Anikulapo Kuti, known in world-music circles simply as Fela, was the Nigerian creator of Afrobeat His populist Marley-like political presence set him on a collision... (CNN -- Showbiz)
Exploring a wellspring of grief in Africa May 13, 2007
Traveling the region for 10 years as a freelance oil reporter, including for Reuters, Shaxson gathered a cast of characters for his book, including Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, who rages against the oil-bloated bureaucracy as he cavorts with a harem of admirers. There are cameos by now-disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former President Jimmy Carter's son Chip, who blesses a rigged election in Equatorial Guinea and promptly goes fishing with the winner -- President Teodoro Obiang... (Boston Globe)
Political goalsWill Africa's richest man's investment impress voters? Apr 20, 2007
As part of the legacy of the late but legendary Afrobeat musician and political activist Fela Kuti, the Shrine is a social club by day and a music venue by night. At the back of the stage in his dressing room, Fela's eldest son Femi is practising his trumpet. (BBC News -- Business)
- Dave Simpson gets a drum lesson from Tony Allen Mar 30, 2007
One is Tony Allen, the 66-year-old Nigerian who - alongside Fela Kuti - created Afrobeat, a blend of African highlife music, funk and jazz ... He, by contrast, has inspired a range of musicians stretching from James Brown - who credited Allen's pioneering grooves as the key influence in his development of funk - to Paul McCartney and Cream's Ginger Baker, who visited Allen and Fela Kuti in the late 1960s at the Shrine, their Lagos club ... When Allen left Fela Kuti, the African superstar needed... (Guardian Unlimited)
God Rave The Queen Mar 11, 2007
Its a new album he made with 66-year-old Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, who worked with Fela Kuti, Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve-Blur-Gorillaz guitarist Simon Tongs and producer Brian Danger Mouse Burton. At Webster Hall tomorrow, the unnamed band will play the album, which looks at London culture and musical history, from start to finish. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
All about the music Mar 2, 2007
Elsewhere, fans of infectious Afrobeat rhythms will be able to catch Femi Kuti son of Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti live on stage with his band Positive Force performing an infectious concoction of soul, jazz and funk ... The son of Fela Kuti, the famous Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader who created Afrobeat in response to Nigerias politically volatile situation at the time, Femi continues the tradition of speaking out for compassion and strength and dignity and equality with... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
This month in live music Mar 1, 2007
The band features some of the greatest British musicians from the past few decades including Damon Albarn of Blur and The Gorillaz, Tony Allen of Fela Kuti, Paul Simonon of The Clash, and Simon Tong of The Verve. Their first album, produced by Danger Mouse, was released in January to critical acclaim and worldwide celebrity. (GW Hatchet, Washington DC)
Fight the powers Feb 16, 2007
In the 1970s, Fela Kuti pioneered the exhilarating meld of horn-driven jazz, funk and west African highlife that took James Brown's soul beat "back to Africa". For more than 20 years he played to thousands in his famous Lagos club, the Shrine. (Guardian Unlimited)
A father's musical legacy Feb 13, 2007
First he discovered Fela Kuti, then the hypnotic guitar work of Ali Farka Toure. Once he got to Bamako, he had to meet the man. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Roots Feeling Synth-y On 'Game Theory' Follow-Up Feb 7, 2007
"Pretty much five or six songs are done, and four of them are synth-heavy." The Roots have also recorded an original song, "I Will Not Apologize," based on an old track from Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. "I know somehow I'm going to find the common thread of all this stuff," Thompson offers. (MediaWeek.com)
No-name smartie Feb 3, 2007
Behind the drum kit is one-time Fela Kuti sideman and Afrobeat titan Tony Allen. About the coolest man on the planet, Clash bassist Paul Simonon, supplies his familiar, loping, ragged, dubby bass lines. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
The good, the bad and the mediocre Jan 31, 2007
The impressive lineup features names such as Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz, Paul Simonon from the Clash, Tony Allen from Fela Kuti and Simon Tong from the Verve. And apparently DJ Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, the Gorillaz album Demon Days, etc. (Daily Collegian, PA)
The Good, The Bad and The Queen "The Good, The Bad and The Queen" Jan 27, 2007
Featuring former Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, Paul Simonon (once of The Clash) on bass and one-time Verve guitarist Simon Tong, the album takes the world-weary melancholia that pervaded much of Blur's "Think Tank" (2003) and lays it over slowed-down grooves and reverb-heavy guitar. The result is a dark and understated album that is the most emotionally affecting of Albarn's career. (The Japan Times)
Radio pick of the day Jan 24, 2007
I don't know whether you'd call the Good, the Bad and the Queen a supergroup, but there's definitely something super-ish about the project, bringing together Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Paul Simonon of the Clash, Simon Tong of the Verve and Blur, and Tony Allen, drummer with Fela Kuti and one of the founders of Afrobeat. 6 Music clearly thinks it's the real deal, and is celebrating the release of the debut album with a Good, the Bad and the Queen day. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Music reviews Jan 23, 2007
Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz collaborates here with bassist Paul Simonon (The Clash), guitarist Simon Tong (The Verve) and drummer Tony Allen (Fela Kuti) on a lean, groove-driven hookfest that surveys Britains political and cultural malaise. The sound is more smart-rock than art-rock, while themes of war and global anxieties conjure melancholy and uncertainty, enhanced by producer Danger Mouses savvy electronics and vocal distortions. (USA Today -- Life)
The sound of music Jan 19, 2007
Supergroup-happy Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) rounds up Paul Simonon of the Clash, Simon Tong of the Verve and Fela Kuti band leader Tony Allen for his newest venture's debut. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Rock out at local shows Jan 12, 2007
It extended from Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Prince and Nigeria's Fela Kuti to George Clinton, NWA, D'Angelo and, oh, several hundred other performers and thousands of bar bands the world over who owe him a profound debt. He was also the most sampled man in show business, and the drum break from Brown's song "Funky Drummer" was alone sampled. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
