Oct 1/04
He Who Carries Death In His Pouch
It’s the last day of Nigeria 60-80 week. Hope you had fun. Next week is Mali, alright?
Fela Kuti doesn’t need an introduction. If you don’t know who he is get your ass over here and find out.
Here’s part two of my favourite Fela track that he recorded after his 82-year-old mother died from being thrown out the window of his Kalakuta compound by police. Apparently that’s what you get for fucking with Nigerian president Obasanjo.
And since this is the end of Nigeria 60-80 week I’m upping the ante. I can’t resist putting up some more solid tracks by a bunch of Igbo boys on that Flashback 70-80 disc I featured in my first posting. There are just too many good songs that many of you might not otherwise hear.
Fela Kuti – Coffin For A Head Of State Pt. 2
The Funkees – Dancing Time (also available on Nigeria 70)
Founders 15 – Be My Own
‘coffin for head of state’ couldn’t be any more fitting for today, nigerian independence day.
looking forward to the selections from mali. keep it up.
‘dancing time’ seems to cut out at 2:50 — but cheers for the mp’s
[...] OK, you probably know all about Tony Allen. Pioneer of afro-beat along with Fela Kuti, drummer and one of the main forces behind the Africa 70 band, &c &c &c. His trademark rhythm is timeless and instantly recognizable. You still hear it on great albums such as the Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble compilation and those by Antibalas. Allen is especially cool since he hasn’t stopped trying new things- he continues to release a wide variety of tunes with rnb, soul, hip-hop, jazz and even house musicians and DJs. He may be a little age-ed but the guy manages to stay cutting edge. [...]