Afrobeatdown

Happy birthday to the great Fela Kuti!

Born in 1938, Fela left Nigeria for London when he was twenty-years-old to study medicine. Luckily for the world, he found medical school insipid, choosing instead to study music at the Trinity College Of Music. He then formed his first band, Koola Lobitos, which would lay the foundational sound for what he would ultimately be known for, Afrobeat.

His history--government raids, riots, drug arrests, abundant sex, mass protests, name changes, political revolts and 27 wives!--is dense as his recordings are. One could devote years simply exploring his life alone (which has been done). But we just wanted to give a nod to a forefather of a genre who, if alive, would be seventy-years-old today. It's really hard to overstate his importance on music.

****Here's the title track from the revered, Expensive Shit, another long, opaque joint full of grooves and drums galore.