Details
Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Lady
2. Shakara
3. Gentlemen - (edit version)
4. Water No Get Enemy - (edit version)
5. Zombie
6. Sorrow Tears and Blood
7. No Agreement (Part 2)
DISC 2:
1. Roforofo Fight
2. Shuffering and Shmiling (Part 2)
3. Coffin For Head of State (Part 2)
4. Itt (Part 2) - (part 2)
5. Army Arrangement (Part 2)
6. O.D.O.O. - (edit version)
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Fela Kuti (vocals); Lester Bowie (trumpet).
Recorded between 1972 & 1989. Includes liner notes by Rikki Stein, Jacqueline Grandchamp & Michael W. Veal.
Fela Kuti is generally considered to be the inventor of Afrobeat, a propulsive, highly danceable music that borrows from American soul, R&B, funk, and jazz, but is deeply rooted in traditional African folk as well. This superior, two-disc compilation collects material from across the Nigerian performer's stunning career, beginning with a handful of recordings from 1972 and continuing up to 1989. Funky, passionate, and technically precise, yet free-spirited and given to extensive improvisation, Fela's music runs on webs of percolating percussion, bobbing bass, wiry funk guitar, cacophonous and sultry horns, and call-and-response choruses.
In addition to being a musical visionary, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Fela was also a fiercely political figure. A socialist and revolutionary, Fela protested oppression in all its forms, touching on everything from police brutality to Pan-African identity, and THE BEST BEST provides a sampler of these themes. The only drawback here is that some tracks have been edited down to fit the compilation (Fela's jams could last upwards of 20 minutes). For this reason, dedicated fans may want to seek out the original albums. Still, THE BEST BEST is nearly unbeatable as an introduction to the irresistible power of this world-music icon.
Industry Reviews
4.5 stars out of 5 - ...[his] fusion of West African chant, gospel call and response, and pounding funk remains one of the enduring musical hybrids of worldwide pop....way ahead of his time in using repetitive looping elements as the basis for genuinely hypnotic trance.
Rolling Stone (03/02/2000)
...His finest work, culled from a lifetime's output of more than 50 albums....Activist, motivator, and supreme musician, Fela has left behind a final gift for his following...
Vibe (05/01/2000)
4 stars out of 5 - ...His mixture of raw energy and sophistication is as remarkable today as it was when he first put it all on wax...
Down Beat (04/01/2001)
...Intelligently distills the most potent moments of Kuti's career....an excellent introduction confirming his godly status.
Mojo (09/01/2001)
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