Fela Ransome-Kuti with the Africa ‘70 and Ginger Baker – Live!
I’ve been a fan of Fela Kuti since a friend gave me a copy of Army Arrangement in 1989. I started collecting his records when I was going digging. He’s had an incredible career, recording something like 36 albums. This particular performance, because it’s a live album with Ginger Baker, it had a different twist to his Afrobeat stuff. I think it was recorded in New York in 1971. There’s only four songs on the whole album, but they all go on for ages. It’s like an African version of James Brown with a Ginger Baker twist. It goes somewhere else. I think the melodies are a lot more solid. I love Fela Kuti’s discordant, edgy grooves, but the Ginger Baker element gives it a classical touch. I wish I’d been there when they recorded it. It’s such an energetic record. Ginger gives it a jazz influence, but in a melodic way, not so experimental. He brought more melody and colour to what Fela does – that’s not to say Fela can’t be colourful, but he can be really down and dirty with this pulsing Afrobeat going on.