Fela Kuti was a dancehall prophet. Not only was he the most important musician in his West African homeland, he was a political activist who railed against the government, the military and organized religions, and his songs gave voice to the African masses.
As a musician he invented Afrobeat, a style that fused traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk and dance music. His influence can be heard all over the globe, from the punk-funk hybrid of the Talking Heads to England’s most popular house DJs.
He died of AIDS in 1997, and Red Hot + Riot assembles artists from the jazz, hip-hop and world beat community to pay tribute to a spiritual and musical visionary while raising money to help fight the spread of AIDS in Africa. Stars such as Kelis, Money Mark, Bilal, Les Nubians, Baaba Maal and Sade contribute to this collection, reinterpreting Fela’s songs in the collaborative and collective spirit that defined the man’s music.
To fit with the heavy theme of the record (namely, that AIDS is killing Africans), the songs have a strong political and social bent. The down-but-not-out message of “Shuffering and Shmiling” speaks to the social problems that have plagued Africa. Organized religion gets the brunt of the attack, as the song rightly asks why the people should praise the church when they can’t feed their children.
Similarly, “Zombie” attacks the brainwashing of the African military, and this version benefits from the tribal choir of Bugz In the Attic. It is followed by an instrumental version featuring Nile Rodgers, Money Mark and saxophonist Roy Hargrove.
While you will undoubtedly learn much about modern African music by listening to Red Hot + Riot, you will learn just as much about Africa’s AIDS crises by reading the liner notes. The numbers are staggering: 55 million Africans will die from AIDS in the next 20 years, and more than 95 percent of people who are HIV-positive lack access to proper medication.
Use this disc to educate yourself about Kuti’s Afrobeat legacy while helping to fight the spread of AIDS.
