Artists similar to Fela Kuti...

Tony Allen's music isn't hard to find and is good for Fela fans.

Various: Nigeria 70. A very good collection. Might be hard to find but worth it.

Afropop.org is a helpful site. Check the section on West Africa: http://www.afropop.org/explore/show_region/ID/1/West%20Africa/

As for East Africa, I can recommend Super Mazembe's Giants of East African compilation on Stern's/Earthworks.

Fela & His Koola Lobitos -- Highlife Jazz & Afro Soul -- 1963 to 1969 (3CD set)

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Saw Fela's youngest son Seun with much of Fela's Egypt 80 12-piece band and two female dancers/backup singers the other night. Whereas Femi adds some programmed beats and r'n'b, Seun merely speeds up the afrobeat tempo a tad, and shortens the songs slightly. Alot of fun although I wish he was not trying so hard to channel Dad--he came out in a bright dress shirt and tight pants that looked like Fela circa the '70s. Later he was shirtless ala Fela with his fist raised high. The band was pretty awesome though.

Seun's new Many Things effort is impressive (but derivative)

I mean Seun had a 12-piece band and many of them were in Fela's Egypt 80 band.

I just realized yesterday that I missed this show ... I was a very sad guy all afternoon and not because I'm a huge fan, but simply because I was looking forward to seeing "fela". Oh and Afrika Bambaataa!

That sounds awesome.

I remember, I saw this Fela Kuti video and I was shocked by how rigid his dancing was.

Also, a new Africa Scream Contest (Music from Benin and Togo) is a great companion to those Soundway / Strut comps -for those still trying to figure out where to go for African music beyond Fela. Fela is merely the gateway to great unheard music.

Orlando Julius

^^^Hell yes.

The Egypt 80 band were great in DC (they were in NY the day before and elsewhere in North America and Europe lately). Fela's bandleader is now on keyboards, and they had a great percussionist on a wood block who was banging out afrobeat clave-style beats. The conga player ocassionally switched to a very large conga drum lying horizontal on the ground that he sat on and banged with sticks. Two awesome guitarists who were not flamboyant at all, just stood there while quickly picking and strumming lots of gorgeous high-pitched afrobeat guitar lines. The four piece horn section (not counting Seun's alto sax) with two trumpets, a baritone sax, & a regular sax, boomed in and out, and ocassionally they all got to solo. Not to mention the shakere gourd player, the trap drummer, the bassist, and the women dancer/singers. Seun's alto-sax solos weren't bad either. Yea, there's nothing new about highlife meets jazz meets James Brown afrobeat in 2008, but it still sounded nice. It brought back memories of when I saw Fela in DC way back when.

I was busy hanging out with my sick friend and only made it at the end, when there was a long line to get in - he sounded grebt

this is awesome: http://www.amazon.com/Afro-Rock-Vol-1-Various-Artists/dp/B0000641BQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1215635632&sr=8-1

i still bump seun kuti's "many things", probably more than anything that came out in '08 except for rebirth brass band.

Both Seun and Femi Kuti put on awesome live shows. But I still think Tony Allen's albums are superior. The latest:

Tony Allen - Secret Agent (World Circuit) 09

didn't even know about that, thx.

looks like it's not easily available (legally) in the u.s. yet, unfort

it's so great to watch him play, such a light touch

I got it via that link at CD Wow US - $17, no tax or postage is not bad.

Review: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UzIGdFZOgU&feature=player_embedded

tracks on his myspace sound good, if mellow. love the intensity of the horn section, tempos, and vocals on that seun disc. of course it would be better if tony was on drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTeZNuvlxzU&feature=related