Fela Kuti

𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙝é, "𝙑𝙤𝙡. 1 & 2" 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙤𝙛 𝙁𝙚𝙡𝙖 𝙆𝙪𝙩𝙞’𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩.

Here, Fela was beginning to fuse highlife and Yoruba rhythms with the jazz, funk, and soul influences he had absorbed during his travels abroad, particularly in the US and UK. The result is a raw yet powerfully hypnotic sound, already pointing toward the politically charged, groove-driven music that would later define his career.

Backed by the legendary Koola Lobitos, these recordings carry the seeds of the Afrobeat revolution — extended jams, heavy horn sections, and Fela’s unmistakable presence as bandleader and visionary. "Vol. 1 & 2" is not just a historical document but a vibrant listen that captures the urgency and energy of a genre in the making.