| E X P E N S I V E S H I T |

This week, I'm going to focus on the Legendary Black President. No, not Obama. But Fela Anikulapo Kuti. And yes, you have no choice but to listen.

Let's go back to Africa - 1960's Nigeria was changing amidst the colonialism of the British and the imposition of Eurocentric values and cultures upon the African people. While this led to the introduction and fermentation of jazz and various forms reaching the continent during this period, this also lead to the dilution of the African culture and music especially.

Fela Kuti was a moving force in the Afrobeat genre - actually, scratch that. Fela Kuti IS the Afrobeat genre. For a while, he was playing the highlife genre that was popular in the 60's, giving him a light fusion of jazz and African rhythms to his repertoire. After studying in London for a period of time, he was further exposed to African American influences and even visited Los Angeles for about a year in 1969. It was then that Fela Kuti became enchanted with the Black Panthers and the influence of Malcolm X. From that point, Fela Kuti's political activism would begin - he incorporating elements of the Black Power and Pan-African Movement into his music and his livelihood. But it was the exposure to the music of James Brown that shaped Afrobeat into what it would become today - Jazz, Funk and Yoruba Music all in one.

Returning to Africa, Fela Kuti had a new mission. He had already been touring with his band, Koola Lobitos, yet the band was renamed Nigeria 70 and his music thrived in his newly erected club - The Afro-Shrine (often called the Shrine). His title of Black President however, came not through his music alone, but through his commune in Lagos, Nigeria. The commune, titled the Kalakuta (rascally in Swahili) Republic, had housed The Shrine, Kuti's band, family members, and even had a free health care center. Fela Kuti declared his commune separate from the Nigerian government and from his pulpit at the Shrine, he'd sing and incite the Nigerian people with his lyrics and rhythms, all while encouraging Pan-Africanism and national pride. But Fela Kuti never encouraged violence against the Nigerian regime, but the military nonetheless was against Fela Kuti and constantly harassed him.

Since most of Fela Kuti's records are only a few songs long, yet extend for long periods of times, I decided to simply review my favorite album of his: Expensive Shit.

"Water No Get Enemy."

Tracklisting

o1. expesnsiveshit

o2. waternogetenemy



A little history on this album. As I mentioned earlier, Fela Kuti was a political force that spoke against the corruption of the African government. With the government actively trying to subdue him, cops had planted a blunt on his person. Well, being the quick thinker that he was, Fela Kuti consumed the joint and the police then held him until the drugs could pass through his system. So, as the story goes, Fela Kuti exchanged his own excrement for that of another inmate and voila. There was no THC found in his droppings and therefore, Fela Kuti was set free to make fun of the event with Expensive Shit.

There isn't much I can really say about the tracks. They're African Funk Jams that last for 25 minutes all together. Being an import, the CD is usually 17 dollars and this is probably making people go like, "Dude, wtf, this is some Expensive Shit". But as you listen to Fela Kuti weave in and out of the groove with his commandeering saxophone while the African Polyrhythms ride a funk, not unlike Parliament's Horny Horns (look forward for a review on that later).

There's not much more I really have to say. I mean, heck, Fela Kuti stays in pocket with his band from beginning to end. In the title track, he and his band improvise for about six minutes before he lets out a howl and begins his political rants. Mind you, he speaks in pidgin for almost all of his songs, a sort of minimalist English as to reach a larger Pan-African audience (even though most Africans speak French and Dutch if I'm not mistaken).


//end.

| B L A C K s u m m e r s n i g h t |

"Make me crazy, don't speak no sound/ I want you to prove it me in the nude, addicted to the way you move."

Tracklisting

o1. badhabits

o2. cold

o3. prettywings

o4. helpsomebody

o5. stoptheworld

o6. loveyou

o7. fistfuloftears

o8. playingpossum

o9. phoenixrise



The first words you hear from Maxwell's newest CD, BLACKsummers'night are "make my crazy, don't speak no sound". The first part of his epic musical trilogy is a masterpiece on its own. While some are upset by the short tracklisting of only nine songs, one must remember that the fewer number of songs makes an album concise. The most popular song, "Pretty Wings", is a beautiful song of falling in love with that right sweet thang, but having to let her go because the time just isn't right. But it's "Cold" and "Bad Habits" that I favor, just badass songs. Now, mind you the whole album is bleak in emotion, singing of heartbreak and love gone wrong, there are some pretty amazing upbeat jams.

Remember Marvin's "What's Going On"? Well, Maxwell basically did a Maxwell version of that called "Help Somebody" and it's pretty awesome. "Stop the World", "Love You", "Fistful of Tears" and "Playing Possum" are what you'd expect, a song about love, another song about love, and then two heartbreak songs. Given an album so heavy on the feeling of helplessness, the final track [one of my favorites] offers a reprieve. "Phoenix Rise" is the album's only instrumental track, but the vibe is uplifting and gives you hope of solace after all of "BLACKsummers'night"'s despair.

BLACKsummers'night is a Maxwell album, there's not doubt about that. But, I'd have to say that it differs from the rest in terms of theme alone. No "Til the Cops Come Knocking" or "Temporary Nite". This Album comes across as a sequel to "Now" if you will, the songs being tighter than "Embrya" or "Urban Hang Suite". All in all, I think this album is probably his best, not in terms of having the best songs all around, but in terms of having a really on point album, this is Maxwell's greatest thus far. The live band accentuating his songs giving a live vibe is just a treat. Don't expect his mellosmoothe falsetto this go around though, eight years obviously putting some maturity and partial strain on his voice. But, this vocal alteration is a benefit in my opinion, giving his voice that raw hurt that strengthens all of his songs. He tries his falsetto and instead of sounding like a young 20 something year old boy trying to fit in his father's shoes [albeit well], Maxwell comes off as if he'd lived the life and is just singing his experiences out. If "Urban Hang Suite" was a kid trying to be Marvin, "BLACKsummers'night" is Marvin's attempt at doing "Here, My Dear"...minus the anger.

BLACK is to be the album of bleak emotion, SUMMERS' is supposed to be full of hope and summer magic, and NIGHT is the sex album, made for baby making. xD So 2010 and 2011 have some pretty good gems on their way. Badu is in the Badudio working on Return of the Ankh for its release this year, and D'angelo iunno. I hope he releases something.

| B R O W N S U G A R |

Trying my second blog. Maybe I'll actually update. Well, this might serve as a music/art blog. We'll see. I'm Soul Brother Vhien, a Funkateer waiting for the Mothership Connection to land. I love Soul & Funk. That's not to say I dislike every other genre, as that's not the case. Prog. Rock, Post-Metal, Ska, Bossa Nova, Country, Afrobeat, Techno - you name it, I probably like it...except Heavy Metal, Gangsta Rap or Contemporary Pop. I don't like those three at all. I'll probably update this entry with a few ramblings of mine on my life and on my love for D'Angelo's 1996 masterpiece "Brown Sugar". x] I still spin this CD, almost on a daily basis.

Brown Sugar:

Okay, now you probably know that this album is a gem. If you are anyone who claims to love Neo-Soul, you have to have a copy of Brown Sugar in your house. The album opens with the smooth title track, an ode to mari-er...a woman. Heh, the Double entendres from the opener are cool. While not my favorite of D'Angelo's two albums, Brown Sugar is still a work of art.

Shit, Damn, Motherfucker was probably the most popular non-single on the CD, the song being an account of a man finding his cheating wife and best friend...followed by "kill[ing] both of ya'll behinds". A bluesy track of anger which I have to say is just amazing. I love Smooth 'n When We Get By. Whenever I get a new computer, this album and Voodooo are the first ones I copy, each and every time. If I could only bring one CD with me to a stranded island, you can bet your left nip and an earlobe that it'd be a D'Angelo album. lol, this was a crap "review", but whatevers.