Fẹla And Afrika 70 ‎– Zombie (2014, Knitting Factory Records)

Media NM
Sleeve NM

Format : LP
Cat N° : KFR2025-1
Style : Afrobeat

2014 US repress.

Born in 1938, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a musical pioneer from Nigeria, shaped Afrobeat. Despite initial plans to become a doctor, his passion for music led to the formation of his first band, Koola Lobitos, in London. His Afrobeat sound evolved in the 1960s, influenced by the Black Power movement. Deported to Nigeria, he formed Afrika 70 and released politically charged music, leading to government raids on his Kalakuta Republic. “Zombie,” a 1977 album, epitomized Afrobeat, blending African rhythms with jazz and funk, with lyrics critical of the military. His confrontations with the government resulted in violent responses, including the destruction of his compound and the tragic loss of his mother. Fela continued his politically charged music and extravagant lifestyle until his death from AIDS in 1997.