Defend The Indefensible: Femi Kuti

I never got a chance to see Fela live, but I thought Femi was blindingly good the two times I saw him. I own 2 CDs, and they don't make it into the player as often as his dad's, but in NO way indefensible.

"Truth Don Be" is state-of-the-art boogie fever. It's the only track of his I've ever liked.

I saw Fela live in 1990. I've never seen Femi. It's entirely possible he's better live, but these studio recordings are just way, way too slick.

Live he's phenomenal. But I can see how it wouldn't translate into anything interesting on record - I haven't heard any of his recorded output.

it's like comparing soul ii soul to marvin gaye.

ie, you're comparing two different musics.

the tony allen comparison makes a little more sense but i can't *believe* you think tony allen is indefensible. isn't that sort of like saying "i like coltrane and miles davis, i can do with or without the rest of jazz"

v4hid can u do a S/D on the truth don die remixes?

so he's good live? is it basically a Fela tribute show? or is it something else. He's playing in my neck of the woods this summer, and I was wondering if I should go...something called the Chicago Afrobeat Orchestra is playing here too -- anyone know anything about them? I want to see some live Afrobeat.

uh, jackson + kerri chandler?

i actually like "beng beng beng" better than "truth don die". ashley beedles "afrikans on marz" remix is sorta like a low-energy take on "the man with the red face", chateau flight's is great cosmic jazz-house in the vein of the spaceiest dimitri in paris stuff.

so he's good live? is it basically a Fela tribute show?

well I never saw Fela so I dunno - it did have the vibe and energy of the filmed stuff of Fela's that I've seen. They didn't do any Fela material until the encore when they did "Water No Get Enemy".

"i like coltrane and miles davis, i can do with or without the rest of jazz"

haha people do say this tho (cf. Geir)

I read this as "fela" kuti and came in to kick some ass and then regained my composure.

I saw Femi live a couple of years ago, and was pretty impressed by his sweaty abs and the show too. Probably prefer listening to Fela on record though.

I didn't think he was considered "indefensible" (and judging by the thread he probably isn't) because around that gig there was nothing but praising going on.

Seun Kuti, the other son, is touring the US with Egypt 80 this summer. Perhaps that will be a better bet.

I've also seen him live twice, and both times he killed it. Regardless, I'd rather listen to his father or other Afro- Beat artists when I'm in that zone. His work does lend itself better to the remix action of the Sydenham/Chandler vein because of the slicker production and I've seen these Femi remixes do really well on the dancefoor. Indefensible nah. Passable, probably.

I'm with the consensus here. Never saw him live, but I can totally see how his concerts could be more interesting than his records.

On a side note, should I get the L.A sessions of Fela?

Femi's First Avenue show circa 2000 was one of the best live shows I've ever seen--he was a masterful bandleader, right up there with Youssou N'Dour, though nowhere near the singer, but really explosive, and I liked the album he was touring behind at the time, Shoki Shoki, particularly "Bang Bang Bang" and "Black Man Know Yourself," which came across like lightening live. His next album(s?) made less of an impression, and I missed the last tour, but I can't imagine him putting on a show that's less than good. As for recorded work, the Roots remix of "Black Man Know Yourself" belongs on any neosoul mixtape.

I never saw Fela, though. I love his best albums, and still play them, but the form isn't something I'm so hungry for that I think there should be tons of Afrobeat bands. Where the juju Antibalas? Still, I dig a lot of Antibalas songs, and really liked Tony Allen's last CD (and dug the Good the Bad and the Queen, too).

Ok so I'm seeing Seun Kuti on Friday. What should I expect?

hopefully a hot show. i really like his new record.

i saw femi live a while back - great band, good show, but the best bit was when he did water get no enemy and other songs of his dads.

femi is also guilty of rather dull/dreary sloganeering in his lyrics, something you couldnt say of his dad.

Fela is an oddly good lyricist

baaderonixx, how was that Seun Kuti show? Playing here in a few weeks...

news just in : Femi is headlining the Standon Calling festival.

Seun tries hard to be like his dad. Tight 1970s style pants, loud dress shirt that he takes off for the encore, plus he adds less modern touches than Femi.

Fela and Femi: a story of two fathers for Father's Day:
http://sanfrancisco.decider.com/articles/femi-kuti,29395/

Saw him last night on a double bill with Angelique Kidjo, and the show was fantastic. Long jams and sax + electric piano that felt as much like In A Silent Way as Afropop.

http://i65.tinypic.com/6ogzkl.jpg

Okay, not indefensible exactly, but isn't he sort of the Julian Lennon of Afrobeat?

i reckon i probably thought simiarly 17 years ago. i saw him live around then and thought it was just ok.

i have seen him twice this year; and he is absolutely his own thing but also as outspoken and as angry as his dad was. he was just on the edge of being on a full on downer tonight but pulled it back from the brink and felt comfortable enough with his dad's legacy to encore with "Beast Of No Nation" and "Water Get No Enemy". Amazing!

One bit felt particularly sad. There was a very vocal Nigerian contingent in the audience and he went on a rant about how Nigerian's (generally) are totally unsuppportive of his music and don't care about Fela's legacy. He is definitely a bit bitter but i think it was exacerbated by his raging incandesence at Trumpism.

Anyway, highly recommended live!

Nigerians!