FEMI KUTI
The Best of Femi Kuti
Barclay/ Universal
· Afro-pop pacesetter Femi Kuti is no missing link.
Living in the shadow of a legend is never an easy task, but for Afro-beat innovator Femi Kuti, growing up as the son of Nigeria’s popularly proclaimed "Black President" Fela Anikulapo-Kuti came as naturally as his sense of rhythm. Travelling back along the well-trampled paths of history, Femi’s dynamic worldbeat creations retrace his father’s footsteps, while simultaneously striking off in their own direction. Surrounding himself with talented players and multi-cultural influences in his early career with his band The Positive Force, Femi brought his own distinct personality and energy to every recording session and exploded onstage with each live performance.
Blending the Afro-beat dance movement with the modern elements of funk and jazz fusion, Femi gives the genre a fresh worldwide appeal. Showcasing the humanitarian issues closest to his heart, he shares his father’s political activism and appeals for social justice with melodically moving songs such as "Stop AIDS" – Fela himself succumbed to an AIDS-related illness in 1997.
Seizing upon this diverse artist’s most successful, commercialized works, The Best of Femi Kuti attempts to round up the highlights of his 20-year recording career in only a dozen moves. The first three songs "Truth Don Die," the devastatingly sexy "Beng Beng Beng" and "What Will Tomorrow Bring?" duplicate the opening lineup of Femi’s 1999 release, the well-received Shoki Shoki which further propelled him into the international spotlight. Also lifted from Shoki Shoki are the sizzling-hot crowd-pleasers "Sorry Sorry" and "Scatta Head." Not to be neglected, Femi’s more recent collaborations with contemporary artists such as Mos Def, Common and Jaguar Wright are dutifully captured by tail-shaking numbers such as "Do Your Best," "Walk on the Right Side," "Traitors of Africa," "Missing Link" and the title track from their 2001’s Fight to Win.
For better or for worse, The Best of Femi Kuti tries to accomplish in one disc what probably should have been designated to a box set, complete with early recordings, live cuts, biographical profile and concert footage. Still, it serves as an adequate archive of this still-rising star, as well as providing an easily accessible index of his oeuvre to world-music fans who are looking to gain familiarity with his work. The Best of Femi Kuti makes an excellent companion to the Red, Hot and Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti compilation of 2002 that saw various musicians pay tribute to Fela’s music in order to benefit AIDS relief efforts in Africa.
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