Zombie/ Fela and Afrika 70 (1976)
My old friend and fellow cook Ned is responsible (again) for introducing me to an album that changed my life forever. This time it is the Afrobeat classic Zombie by Nigerian saxman Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
This is a record that you cannot be ‘iffy’ about. From the jittering guitar riff that opens the 12 and a half minute put down of the Nigerian military junta as a pack of zombies the excitement, anxious energy and urgency never slackens. Fela essentially created the Afrobeat sound which took Highlife–the light trumpet laced dance music of Ghana and Nigeria–and soldered on huge slabs of James Brown funk and the jazz improvisation .
Zombie which is one of the best of Fela’s many very good records took Nigeria by storm. Whenever people would see a soldier on the street they would put on a blank expression and make like a walking corpse. Of course, it wasn’t long before the zombies came down hard on Fela sending 1000 troops to his residence and laying waste to his family, killing his mother, destroying his home, studio and master tapes. Fela was not cowed. He marched with his mother’s coffin to the President’s house and a few months later released another devasting musical attack Coffin For a Head of State.
Fela’s music is one of the power surge forces of the Universe. It absolutely blows you away but makes you feel incredibly good and happy. From this record, my very first exposure to African music, I set out a journey of discovery to all other parts of Africa which has proven to be one of the most exciting musical adventures I’ve ever had. Absolute gold!
njrabe 