Old And New Friends Of Fela Jam Together In May

                              To honour Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator, Fela Kuti and to celebrate the re-packaging and re-release of his entire catalogue, Knitting Factory Records in association with London’s concert promoter, AGMP, have reached out to some whom knew Fela well and worked with him.
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Some of such friends, Ginger Baker (drummer and Fela collaborator), Tony Allen (previously Fela’s drummer) and Dele Sosimi (previously Fela’s keyboardist) and several others who wish to express their admiration and respect by taking part in the concert in May, have been contacted.

 Alongside Fela’s contemporaries, this concert will also see a younger generation of artists, Blak Twang, Afrikan Boy, BREIS, TY and Shingai Shoniwa who are influenced by the great man, perform.

The musicians will offer their interpretations of Fela’s songs and will collectively contribute to an evening aided  by the musical backdrop provided by Dele Sosimi and his Afrobeat Orchestra.

 Those lucky enough to have witnessed a live performance by Fela Kuti know that he was an extraordinary musician with his regular nights at the Shrine in Lagos. This special event is a chance to keep Fela’s spirit alive, to honour and salute the Black President, and to dance to the sounds of Afrobeat.

Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator, Fela Kuti, passed away 15 years ago, but to this day, his legacy lives on across the globe with his still-relevant, forthright political views and powerful music.

The complete works of Fela, consisting of almost 50 albums, have been re-packaged, with in-depth track commentaries written by Afrobeat historian, Chris May.

The re-release programme has been spearheaded by the new compilation ‘The Best Of The Black President 2’   which includes 1975’s “Everything Scatter”, probably one of the ultimate Afrobeat tracks, as well as an extended version of the classic “Sorrow Tears and Blood”.

The second tranche of releases is planned for 20 May with a further 10 CDs each containing two albums.