Maximum Fun Forum

DISCUSS

You can download a whole bunch of Fela Kuti's music (and Seun's new album) from eMusic for around a 25 cents a track with monthly subscription (or free during a trial period). Most of the tracks are quite long (often only two per LP), which makes it an even better deal.

Their selection now is different from when i downloaded around twenty last year, so i don't know how good the current selections are. For that matter, i'm not fully sure how good the tracks i do have are, but Roforofo Fight is very pleasing to me. However, i don't remotely understand any of the lyrics nor what it means ("a Roforofo fight" either being a mud-slinging contest or, possibly, a springtime mating ritual of the orange-tufted sunbird).

It's probably best for my enjoyment that i don't the understand any of the lyrics, because Fela Kuti was a tremendous misogynist. I'm a little more okay with his songs against military dictatorships.

I'd be interested in other recommendations for Afrobeat music. I like Konono No.1 a bit more than either Fela or Femi Kuti. I can't think of any other Afrobeat that i've particularly enjoyed.

Another guy with some pretty heavy Afrobeat influence definitely worth checking out is Keziah Jones. Start with the album Black Orpheus. It's a bit more pop-oriented than Fela or Seun's stuff, but damn does it groove.

The interview was sort of different from Jesse's other interviews. Once in a while he would drop a bomb like "my father was driving home drunk" or "was 9/11 planned?", or even just saying that Afrobeat would take over music. And I always went "wait a second", and maybe so did Jesse, but to follow up on those things would have thrown off the interview.

How does this work, Jesse? There is so much that is right about Seun Kuti's message, but then there are other things that stick out, things that could mean he's crazy or could just mean he's from another culture. Was this a comfortable interview?

He was nice, but it was a little odd. He carries himself as a huge, huge star (which I'm sure he is, internationally and especially in Nigeria, where his father is like unto a God). Not in a bad way, it just caught me by surprise. He is also definitely from a different culture. Frankly, I didn't think I did my best work on this interview. I was a little off balance. Not that I didn't think Seun was a good interviewee, it was just very challenging.

So in answer to your question... yeah... something was going on. I think largely cultural, but it was enough to leave me a little awkward.

Nick White, Thanks for the Keziah Jones recommendation. I'll give him a listen.

I'm certainly okay with a more poppy Afrobeat fusion. Were i to compile a list of my ten favorite songs, i'd definitely include Afro Celt Sound System's "When You're Falling" and Angélique Kidjo's "Iwoya," both which could be considered poppy-Afrobeat fusions.

Part of my problem is that i have difficulty isolating why i like certain Afrobeat music and how it's different the music i don't like.

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Jesse, all the interviews i've read or heard with Fela and Femi Kuti were similarly awkward with myriad WTF moments. Yours wasn't at all worse than those were, so you shouldn't doubt yourself.

I will concede that it felt odd compared to your usual interviews. For me, one of my favorite moments in TSoYA is that instant of realization for the interview subject where he discovers that this is not going to be a boring Q&A of the same rehashed topics. You can tell when the interviewee perks up, knowing that he can have fun, show his humanity, and explore non-traditional areas. I love that.

This interview didn't really have that moment, possibly due to that cultural disconnection, which might be part why it wasn't as pleasurable for you.

Well, I say kudos for working well whilst outside of your comfort zone.

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