After Gilles Peterson’s Interview with Seun Kuti on his Worldwide Show this morning, you’d be right to be excited by the fact that his new album is coming out next week as it’s time to rise up!
Perhaps Gilles’ show wasn’t a good as last week’s but the highlights was certainly in the interview where he talked about the new album, working with Brian Eno, his favourite track by his Dad and Fela! the Movie and much more.
Gilles has been a long time fan having chosen a Seun track for the Big Chill compilation, 15 by 15 (Celebrating 15 Years of The Big Chill), ‘Many Things’ that was on Seun’s debut album Many Things that came 2nd in his All Winners 2008 album of the year), I know a man that would.
Three years on and with the recent Fela! The Musical that was a hit on Broadway and more recently on the London stage, timing couldn’t be much better musically for From Africa With Fury: Rise. What the play didn’t touch on was Fela’s offspring but his long awaited second album has got Fela‘s spirit all over it.
It is said the Seun Kuti is more like his father than Femi and from the opening flurry of ‘African Soldier’ it’s hard not to disagree as he has a go a African Armys, Politicians and all things corrupt with a pounding Afrobeat and hard horns that you’d expect from Egypt 80 (Eno’s favourite drummer is Tony Allen after all).
And with a new Strut compilation coming out soon, Nigeria 70 – Sweet Times: Afro-Funk, Highlife & Juju from 1970s Lagos and the new Orchestre Poly Rythmo album, tracks such as the funky ‘You Can Run’ tip to the wah wah that’s Dennis Coffey in Africa with a bit of that’s got a bit of ‘Roforofo Fight’ that would grace any jogging mixtape as it’s double time; and you can double that for ‘Mr. Big Thief’ that’s incredible (could they possibly do this for over seven minutes live? I hope so as he’s heading up this years Africa Rebels Tour (supported by another one of our favourites, Donso – check out their debut album HERE.
After that you need to slow down ‘Rise’ but there’s no let up in musical as there’s a hell of a trumpet solo or politically. Like Father, like son as there is no compromises here with a powerful message against the petrol-chemical, mining, agribuiness exploitation. And is the African continent ready to follow this head charge of empowerment from Tunisia to Bahran to Egypt to Libya (even with some UN/Western meddling)
And they do the same trick in reverse for ‘Slave Masters’ and ‘From Dem Eye’ with another fantastic trumpet solo again and “kill the people with guns” chant.
‘The Good Leaf’ has a touch of Francine McGee on Afrobeat or is this delirium setting in (expect to hear at Jazz Chronicles – see links below) but if you like it fast with funky sax and some call and response chanting, it’s a track for you.
Sun Ra had the message. And Fela followed in his footsteps, along with Bob Marley. It’s getting there and spreading around the world and The Man seems to be worried. It may be 50 years since Fela was finding his musical purpose and whilst the first world is still in a post Banking crisis Armageddon and Japan has had a natural Armageddon (and on the verge of a Nuclear Armageddon), Seun is telling us to “rise up”. Whatever that means, I urge you to rise up and get this album as its magical medicine for a messed up globe.
So FLY – expect to dominate the whole wide world.
P.S. And don’t miss Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 on BBC2′s Later with Jools Holland on April 12th + 15th
Reviewed: Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 – From Africa With Fury: Rise (Knitting Factory/Because Music) Cat. No. Released: 4th April 2011
Tracklisting
1 African Soldier (5:16)
2 You Can Run (5:37)
3 Mr. Big Thief (7:38)
4 Rise (7:05)
5 Slave Masters (7:45)
6 From Dem Eye (6:56)
7 The Good Leaf (6:12)
Links:
www.myspace.com/seunkuti
because.tv
www.myspace.com/donso
Gilles Peterson 9 June 2010 02:00-04:00 BBC Radio 1 Loads of new music!
www.bbc.co.uk
Donso – Diya (Comet Records)
Gilles Peterson 30th March 2011 02:00-04:00 BBC Radio 1 Words & Music from Seun Kuti
bbc.co.uk
Words & Music from Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – You Can Run (Knitting Factory/Because)
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – Rise (Knitting Factory/Because)
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – The Good Leaf (Knitting Factory/Because)
Fela Kuti – Look And Laugh (Barclay)
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – Mr Big Thief (Knitting Factory/Because)
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – African Solider (Knitting Factory/Because)
Gilles Peterson 23rd March 2011 02:00-04:00 BBC Radio 1 Mo Kolours & Loleatta Holloway Tribute : Louie Vega & Norman Jay MBE pay tribute to Loleatta Holloway.
bbc.co.uk
Rise – Shine A Light (Futuristica Music)
Matthew Halsall – The Move (Gondwana)
Africa Soul Rebels Special : Seun Kuti & Egypt 80and Donso
TOUR DATES APRIL 2011
Weds 13th LONDON – Royal Festival Hall 0844 875 0073 / www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Fri 15th NORTHAMPTON – Royal & Derngate 01604 624811 / royalandderngate.co.uk
Sat 16th EDINBURGH – Usher Hall 0131 228 1155 / usherhall.co.uk
Mon 18th MANCHESTER – The Ritz 0161 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
Tues 17th BANGOR – Prichard – Jones Hall 01248 382558 / www.theticketfactory.com
Tues 19th BRISTOL – Colston Hall 0117 922 3686 / colstonhall.org
Weds 20th BASINGSTOKE – The Anvil 01256 844244 / anvilarts.org.uk
Thurs 21st POOLE – Lighthouse 0844 406 8666 / lighthousepoole.co.uk
www.musicbeyondmainstream.co.ukJazz Chronicles with Simon S, Martin Gordon and Gerry Hectic First Saturday of the month, 2nd April 2011 at 3:00pm @ Sixty Million Postcards
www.myspace.com/60millionpostcards
