I could kick myself in ass for not being hip to this brother. He was so powerful in his own right. If America was not so damn intolerant of other musical styles, we would know about this great artist. As an African-Caribbean American, I feel cheated because I was not exposed to Afrobeat music. I hear so much of the African influence in the Caribbean and Black music, that African music just ties everything together. Long live the great Gods & Goddess of African/black music.
This is why Nigerians are the happiest people on earth because of all the extracurriculum things we do. Our music, jokes, dancing, folk stories and so on... when you're enjoying all this you smile and forget the dramas around us in our country. I have live abroad for over 20yrs but when i remember all these songs amongst other things, I long for Naija!! I never thought I will miss Nigeria when I left in the late 80s!!! Thanks for posting this music, Happy new year and God bless.
I am an African American in Texas, I was introduced to Fela by my brother-in-law, Akin, in 2002,and have been loving him since. It's so unfortunate I did not know such great music before...And I can Dance...
Back in the 1970's it was Osibisa and Fela Kuti including TPOK Jazz (Congo, Kinshasa) and Manu Dibango (Cameroon). The music had messages all through. Look at the "short-cut" music we have today. Fela entertained you and educated you - he opened your eyes. Thank you for posting.
I'm enjoying all your comments. This is so inspirational to me. I am not a Nigerian or a native from Africa. I'm African American born and breeded in America, but my spirit lives West African (Nigerian) . I was introduced to Fela music by my Ex Nigerian Husband. I was blessed. I learned through the years of our seperation how special My ex husband was to me. I miss him dearly. Fela will always be a part of my life as long as I shall live. Be bless Fela Fans for the gift he gave to you.
Revolutionary in his music. Revolutionary in his life. Fela, I miss you. As a young girl, I remember looking at my parent's 'Expensive Shit' cover and giggling of display of the women's breast. Love 'Lady' Reminds me of me, my mama and all of my wonderful women ancestors. 'Water No Enemy', one of my favourite Fela tracks. Your legacy lives on. O se!
This sounds like some JAMES BROWN(RIP) RHYTHMS!!! Check the BOMB horn mix at 3:00 the L/R PAN....GREAT engineering!!! ...The horns also have that Miles Davis dynamic to them!!!! FELA WAS A GENIUS!!!! BLESSINGS FROM YHWH!!!
Water is very spiritual. It is both chaotic and serene. When Fela is associates water and black man power, he's talking of African spirituality; JUJU. MAJIC. He is far from racist. His songs were created for Africans to know their true power. When he says "you go fight am unless you wan die" he's basically saying don't fight nature, it's necessary.
i hope the message reaches the next generation for my son,our people sake..black women keep supporting the man unlike us blacks in america.for if you take the head the body falls ..powers that be took the head in america now our body is made up of homosexual sexual deviants that don't understand the true man made in Gods image authority, for if you uphold the kings thrown peace and happiness would be bestowed the queen and the family.thank you very much my powerful african jewish/black women.
He's d real African Lion,in d Dangerous Gov't Jungle,,,,,,,i miss d King Big time, Shango Olukoso Fire & Thunder human incarnate, hes not dead he lives in us all.....
Felas music is a Nigerian institution! We live it,breath it dream it! When he was alive Africans mainly West Africans AND Europeans were the main patriots of Felas music,and Americans(black and white) weren't interested at all! Black Americans have now cottoned on to his music by;(would you believe) Grand theft Auto game,where 2 of his songs are played along side Femi! JayZ is a business man,so him staging a play about Fela no way reflects the popularity of his music among AAs.
@farabale01 traditionally in yorubaland musicians are conservative praise singers like obey and sunny in modern times. Fela was a countercultural hero and he identfied more with the oppressed than with his tribe.
@fragileth1ng. Thank you for sharing your story. I really do appreciate what you have said. I'm not being bias,but life brings more balance when there are two ppl working together for a childs life. We had some of the same life challenges. My father died when I was a very young girl, and my Mom could not handle the pressure alone raising a family of nine children. It was difficult and too much for her to do alone. Keep yr faith and don't lose sight of Gods will for yr life. Be bless...
There is no need to be sorry. I am not. I'm glad my life is the way it is. Without all the experiences I might have been someone different and I am very proud of the person that I am and I know my God is too. I don't care who is leading the family so far as every body is important, equal and contributing.
I agree with half of what Fela was talking about here. I believe that the so called "ladies" out there want to see themselves as equal to men but want to be treated differently. If you feel cheated as a slave, you should not want to be a master too. But he also said that African women know that a man is the master. I'm willing to forgive him because I love him so much and he was from a different era, but I think that is totally wrong. In an ideal society, gender roles are nonexistent.
The fact is, men are supposed to be the head of their households, and therefore should lead. The problem is when the subject of submission is introduced, most women find that offensive. It doesn't mean the woman should be disrespected or ignored. In order for a woman to submit to a man, there must be trust and love.
No matter what society a women lives in she will need protection from a man. Even in America. Anyone that says thats not true is a lie before God and man. For women without a husband God will give them the protection himself in his heart. That's why he will give you pastors according to his heart. ( jeremiah 3:15). Fela was anointed by God in his music, and he also had a ministry to protect those women. David was a musician and he had many wives. I don't have enough time to tell the story.
I just figured out what he meant by water no get enemy!! It is a saying that is used in Yoruba spiritual belief. It has to do with the goddess Os(h)un. She is the goddess of love and beauty. Love (Oshun) is omnipresent therefore has no enemy. Everyone has and uses it. That is what is meant by water no get enemy. Fela calls it black power because he got it from Yoruba teachings. Note: I see juju as majic/power. Not bad or good. The good/evilness of juju depends on the user.
I agree with the first part of ur comment, however, as a man, I am responsible for my family...financially, emotionally, etc. A woman should submit to her husband, and not the other way around. as I stated earlier, it does't mean she should be disrespected. A fair question is, does a woman want to be equal in a marriage and the responsibilities that comes with that? Is a woman equal to man? Yes, but in a relationship, there can on be one leader. Submission is a gift, not a weakness.
@emecca123 I would agree with you on the basis of equality. After all, if we look at the basics, we actually breath the same air, fell the same pain (excluding labor pains) and several others... But there's still a difference. Nature, God or whatever you choose to call it has 'levied' man with more responsibilities. The result is that it tends to slightly elevate man above woman. The same applies to animals (on land and in water) if you observe. This situation is not man made, its nature or God.
@oluwalogbon58 its funny the way felas profile has shed the weed smoking deviant image it had when he was alive. Align that to the fact that when he got really famous or in the middle class/upper class eyes of his peers notorious yoruba families stopped naming boys fela. We might say Fela is ours but i think he would prefer to be remembered as an African in line with his ideology.
i wanna be in ur society, my experience however leeds me to conclude that we have the choice to break free from the ascribed gender roles but they still exist and you break free at the risk of being a rebel..... that said i'd rather be a rebel any day!
@emecca123 you do have to appreciate the cultural aspect, it is more seen as a departure from the traditions and acceptance of european doctrine. to say it comes down to submission is unfair, but rather it is a rejection by the african woman of her culture. fela had great respect for his mother and you statement totally ignores that
submision is not love, sorry. Is to lost your energy. you feed the other one and the other one is lost his energy balance and can do a bad use of it inconsciounnsly. thats the principe of fighting for power (energy) in relations. we can love inconditionaly to everyone, but submision for "love" for other one is not love. is breaking the/our balance ourselves. we have to share energy in every form we want create in relations. sorry for ofended and my english. LOVE for everyone!
@emecca123 i think we are seeing this from two different view points, IMO the song has more to do with africans forgoing tradition for european ideals, the idea that feminism and equal rights didn't exist in "precolonial" africa, americas or asia is a lie
@fragileth1ng. I'm sorry you had that kind of experience as a man/female child. If your father has neglected his responsiblities as being the head of his household. I would not say God is bias he will provide your every need, you got to trust that he will make a way for you out of no way, he has bought you through this far and still has not forsaken you. I gave you a scripture from the Bible read it. If not than that is your choice, "to lick the wounds of your bitterness". His arms are open...
@emecca123 I don't know what you smoked before writing that comment. But Society, history and religion has placed the woman as 'complementary to the man' not equal to him. Look at history, look at decisions that shaped the world (good or bad) and tell me who had been at the helm of affairs?
@wxdom This whole comment makes absolutely no sense. The message is offensive and the way you've said it makes no grammatical sense nor is your sentence structure readable. Clarity is our friend.
It's NOT almost natural for a man to lead in a relationship. He's supposed to lead and should lead. Your error is in confusing SUBMISSION with DOMINATION. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. In reference to your last point, the bible says, "...wives submit to your husbands." and for the husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. A submissive wife doesn't mean an abused, disrespected and dominated one. I'll leave the last word to you...on an interesting subject.
I really wish you hadn't replied my comment. I come from a family with a female bread winner. My dad, god bless him, is too manly for one woman and labels his children unimportant. Are you telling me I should wait for my father to change before I get educated or eat? Don't bring that false teaching to me again please, you hear? Your God is biased.
Sorry I disagree. Women should follow the Laws of God. We are not to be the bread winners. Men are made to provide and protect his family. Women are made to be the nurture. With men laying back and eating from a women is lazy and forbidden by God for him to do. They are equal in the same amount of love being played out by both sexs. Woman are suppose to stand beside their husbands, but not to lead the way. Men are suppose to be the aggressor. You can't change nature. It's how God created it.
Sorry, I disagree. They are. How do you expect a man who is better at cooking and cleaning while his wife is better at making money to feel in a culture where any man who doesn't provide for his family is emasculated? Yes, female and males are equal but he is seen as less than a man because he doesn't follow the norms. People have different personalities and strengths. Traditions are not made to be eternal. We should chuck the anachronistic ones in the garbage and move on.
I could kick myself in ass for not being hip to this brother. He was so powerful in his own right. If America was not so damn intolerant of other musical styles, we would know about this great artist. As an African-Caribbean American, I feel cheated because I was not exposed to Afrobeat music. I hear so much of the African influence in the Caribbean and Black music, that African music just ties everything together. Long live the great Gods & Goddess of African/black music.
This is why Nigerians are the happiest people on earth because of all the extracurriculum things we do. Our music, jokes, dancing, folk stories and so on... when you're enjoying all this you smile and forget the dramas around us in our country. I have live abroad for over 20yrs but when i remember all these songs amongst other things, I long for Naija!! I never thought I will miss Nigeria when I left in the late 80s!!! Thanks for posting this music, Happy new year and God bless.
I am an African American in Texas, I was introduced to Fela by my brother-in-law, Akin, in 2002,and have been loving him since. It's so unfortunate I did not know such great music before...And I can Dance...
Back in the 1970's it was Osibisa and Fela Kuti including TPOK Jazz (Congo, Kinshasa) and Manu Dibango (Cameroon). The music had messages all through. Look at the "short-cut" music we have today. Fela entertained you and educated you - he opened your eyes. Thank you for posting.
I'm enjoying all your comments. This is so inspirational to me. I am not a Nigerian or a native from Africa. I'm African American born and breeded in America, but my spirit lives West African (Nigerian) . I was introduced to Fela music by my Ex Nigerian Husband. I was blessed. I learned through the years of our seperation how special My ex husband was to me. I miss him dearly. Fela will always be a part of my life as long as I shall live.
Be bless Fela Fans for the gift he gave to you.
Water no get enemy!!! Best horn arrangement i have ever heard in any music genre. Peace Fela RIP.
i remember these tunes as a little girl my mum would play it all the time....big up festac town lagos xxx
My bother in law took me to a Fela concert at UNC, I was young at that age and did'nt know how great he was,,,,but I love his music....
this is fantastic, reminds me of my days and hazy nights at the original Shrine, Fela your memory lives on in all us today and for ever!!!
adetayo
Revolutionary in his music. Revolutionary in his life.
Fela, I miss you.
As a young girl, I remember looking at my parent's 'Expensive Shit' cover and giggling of display of the women's breast.
Love 'Lady' Reminds me of me, my mama and all of my wonderful women ancestors.
'Water No Enemy', one of my favourite Fela tracks.
Your legacy lives on.
O se!
'If you call a woman, African woman, na go 'gree, she go say ay, she go say I be lady-o'
I agree with you. He was a fearless fighter, one on the greatest men and patriot Nigeria could have used for its development.
This sounds like some JAMES BROWN(RIP) RHYTHMS!!! Check the BOMB horn mix at 3:00 the L/R PAN....GREAT engineering!!! ...The horns also have that Miles Davis dynamic to them!!!! FELA WAS A GENIUS!!!! BLESSINGS FROM YHWH!!!
Water is very spiritual. It is both chaotic and serene. When Fela is associates water and black man power, he's talking of African spirituality; JUJU. MAJIC. He is far from racist. His songs were created for Africans to know their true power. When he says "you go fight am unless you wan die" he's basically saying don't fight nature, it's necessary.
excelente fela kuti muy buena musica....
i hope the message reaches the next generation for my son,our people sake..black women keep supporting the man unlike us blacks in america.for if you take the head the body falls ..powers that be took the head in america now our body is made up of homosexual sexual deviants that don't understand the true man made in Gods image authority, for if you uphold the kings thrown peace and happiness would be bestowed the queen and the family.thank you very much my powerful african jewish/black women.
v la l orchestre au paradis avec tous ses sikaus partis trop tot v la les beufs huum !!! good!
He IS afrobeat..... I love and respect you RIP
Man of the people.He lives on!
Nice to hear that buddy! hope you enjoyed ur stay.
Fela best recording.
Olatunde
If you're a Fan of Fela, go see the show about this great man (aptly named Fela!), playing off broadway in NYC.
Thanks for your legacy, RIP Baba Kuti.
afrobeats originate what they call modern music,,startin from early jazz,blues,rythm'n blues,,rock,,pop,,,,,,nd the rest,,,,,
if you have to have a dessert island disk?
take FELA. best artest .the man says it the way he saw it. spot on.
Damn good- this is soul!
SAME..I LOVE THE SONG 'LADY'..
He's d real African Lion,in d Dangerous Gov't Jungle,,,,,,,i miss d King Big time, Shango Olukoso Fire & Thunder human incarnate, hes not dead he lives in us all.....
Felas music is a Nigerian institution! We live it,breath it dream it! When he was alive Africans mainly West Africans AND Europeans were the main patriots of Felas music,and Americans(black and white) weren't interested at all! Black Americans have now cottoned on to his music by;(would you believe) Grand theft Auto game,where 2 of his songs are played along side Femi! JayZ is a business man,so him staging a play about Fela no way reflects the popularity of his music among AAs.
@farabale01 traditionally in yorubaland musicians are conservative praise singers like obey and sunny in modern times. Fela was a countercultural hero and he identfied more with the oppressed than with his tribe.
I LOVE U , FELA!!!
probably Africa's best!
you will always be in my heart!!!
can anybody tell me where I can read his lyrics? I agree, he was the bast
@fragileth1ng. Thank you for sharing your story. I really do appreciate what you have said. I'm not being bias,but life brings more balance when there are two ppl working together for a childs life. We had some of the same life challenges. My father died when I was a very young girl, and my Mom could not handle the pressure alone raising a family of nine children. It was difficult and too much for her to do alone. Keep yr faith and don't lose sight of Gods will for yr life. Be bless...
There is no need to be sorry. I am not. I'm glad my life is the way it is. Without all the experiences I might have been someone different and I am very proud of the person that I am and I know my God is too. I don't care who is leading the family so far as every body is important, equal and contributing.
I agree with half of what Fela was talking about here. I believe that the so called "ladies" out there want to see themselves as equal to men but want to be treated differently. If you feel cheated as a slave, you should not want to be a master too.
But he also said that African women know that a man is the master. I'm willing to forgive him because I love him so much and he was from a different era, but I think that is totally wrong. In an ideal society, gender roles are nonexistent.
she go say i be lady o... :)
i like, i like a lot
oh thanks for the explanation....
Thanks Amir; I can enjoy much better now...OR
The fact is, men are supposed to be the head of their households, and therefore should lead. The problem is when the subject of submission is introduced, most women find that offensive. It doesn't mean the woman should be disrespected or ignored. In order for a woman to submit to a man, there must be trust and love.
class indeed
@fragileth1ng I guess your second observation speaks to how far the African woman has come. Gotta luv Fela.
water no get enemy. they need us
Omi o lo ta o, waterrr e no get enemy!!! 4uk Obasanjo, Fela 4 eva!!!
No matter what society a women lives in she will need protection from a man. Even in America. Anyone that says thats not true is a lie before God and man. For women without a husband God will give them the protection himself in his heart. That's why he will give you pastors according to his heart. ( jeremiah 3:15). Fela was anointed by God in his music, and he also had a ministry to protect those women. David was a musician and he had many wives. I don't have enough time to tell the story.
Is it true that he was once in a contract with a Japanese Label. If yes, how did it come to that, I mean Japan and Nigeria is like very different.
He perceived Ransome to be a slave name [by way of it being a white man's name] that was passed down from his father to him.
what does the water song mean especially in relation to "black man power"? has it got anything to do with racism?
I just figured out what he meant by water no get enemy!!
It is a saying that is used in Yoruba spiritual belief. It has to do with the goddess Os(h)un. She is the goddess of love and beauty. Love (Oshun) is omnipresent therefore has no enemy. Everyone has and uses it. That is what is meant by water no get enemy.
Fela calls it black power because he got it from Yoruba teachings. Note: I see juju as majic/power. Not bad or good. The good/evilness of juju depends on the user.
I agree with the first part of ur comment, however, as a man, I am responsible for my family...financially, emotionally, etc.
A woman should submit to her husband, and not the other way around. as I stated earlier, it does't mean she should be disrespected. A fair question is, does a woman want to be equal in a marriage and the responsibilities that comes with that? Is a woman equal to man? Yes, but in a relationship, there can on be one leader. Submission is a gift, not a weakness.
@MsKar1 Bless you sister
@emecca123 I would agree with you on the basis of equality. After all, if we look at the basics, we actually breath the same air, fell the same pain (excluding labor pains) and several others... But there's still a difference. Nature, God or whatever you choose to call it has 'levied' man with more responsibilities. The result is that it tends to slightly elevate man above woman. The same applies to animals (on land and in water) if you observe. This situation is not man made, its nature or God.
@oluwalogbon58 its funny the way felas profile has shed the weed smoking deviant image it had when he was alive. Align that to the fact that when he got really famous or in the middle class/upper class eyes of his peers notorious yoruba families stopped naming boys fela. We might say Fela is ours but i think he would prefer to be remembered as an African in line with his ideology.
Oh, I know you had a good time my twin, twin... I was so ill with flu and in bed:(
If you call woman
African woman no go ‘gree
She go say I be Lady o
If you call woman
African woman no go ‘gree
She go say I be Lady o
you know he denounced the name - Ransome?
ahhhhhhh,ooooooo
and this is a comment about the first song Black President iamqueenkk.
i wanna be in ur society, my experience however leeds me to conclude that we have the choice to break free from the ascribed gender roles but they still exist and you break free at the risk of being a rebel..... that said i'd rather be a rebel any day!
water get emeny in our world otelalogyicsocalabooklazations.
@emecca123 you do have to appreciate the cultural aspect, it is more seen as a departure from the traditions and acceptance of european doctrine. to say it comes down to submission is unfair, but rather it is a rejection by the african woman of her culture. fela had great respect for his mother and you statement totally ignores that
submision is not love, sorry. Is to lost your energy. you feed the other one and the other one is lost his energy balance and can do a bad use of it inconsciounnsly. thats the principe of fighting for power (energy) in relations. we can love inconditionaly to everyone, but submision for "love" for other one is not love. is breaking the/our balance ourselves. we have to share energy in every form we want create in relations. sorry for ofended and my english.
LOVE for everyone!
oh and i wasnt suggesting he's racist at all i thought he was using water as a metaphor for the black man's struggle :) but i get it now... thanks
stole my idea! Plus that name is real strong, yet nice for a man.
africa micheal jackson
@emecca123 i think we are seeing this from two different view points, IMO the song has more to do with africans forgoing tradition for european ideals, the idea that feminism and equal rights didn't exist in "precolonial" africa, americas or asia is a lie
ok
hah, uhah...huh
@fragileth1ng. I'm sorry you had that kind of experience as a man/female child. If your father has neglected his responsiblities as being the head of his household. I would not say God is bias he will provide your every need, you got to trust that he will make a way for you out of no way, he has bought you through this far and still has not forsaken you. I gave you a scripture from the Bible read it. If not than that is your choice, "to lick the wounds of your bitterness". His arms are open...
@emecca123 I don't know what you smoked before writing that comment. But Society, history and religion has placed the woman as 'complementary to the man' not equal to him. Look at history, look at decisions that shaped the world (good or bad) and tell me who had been at the helm of affairs?
cheeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz
with 22 wives and extra hand bags here and there. Fela must be gay sleeping with what is naturally accepted.
grown man sport - ini
Fela cannot be gay in a million years. You need to read about him
@wxdom This whole comment makes absolutely no sense. The message is offensive and the way you've said it makes no grammatical sense nor is your sentence structure readable. Clarity is our friend.
Think he was gay?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It's NOT almost natural for a man to lead in a relationship. He's supposed to lead and should lead.
Your error is in confusing SUBMISSION with DOMINATION. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
In reference to your last point, the bible says, "...wives submit to your husbands." and for the husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
A submissive wife doesn't mean an abused, disrespected and dominated one.
I'll leave the last word to you...on an interesting subject.
thats just not true
just enjoy the damn music and go argue in real life. stop wasting your time.
pz
I really wish you hadn't replied my comment. I come from a family with a female bread winner. My dad, god bless him, is too manly for one woman and labels his children unimportant. Are you telling me I should wait for my father to change before I get educated or eat? Don't bring that false teaching to me again please, you hear? Your God is biased.
Sorry I disagree. Women should follow the Laws of God. We are not to be the bread winners. Men are made to provide and protect his family. Women are made to be the nurture. With men laying back and eating from a women is lazy and forbidden by God for him to do. They are equal in the same amount of love being played out by both sexs. Woman are suppose to stand beside their husbands, but not to lead the way. Men are suppose to be the aggressor. You can't change nature. It's how God created it.
Sorry, I disagree. They are. How do you expect a man who is better at cooking and cleaning while his wife is better at making money to feel in a culture where any man who doesn't provide for his family is emasculated? Yes, female and males are equal but he is seen as less than a man because he doesn't follow the norms. People have different personalities and strengths. Traditions are not made to be eternal. We should chuck the anachronistic ones in the garbage and move on.