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The Latest Breaking News from Fela Kuti

‘Steam will come out of readers’ ears!’: Joe Boyd on his epic, enraging history of global music

At over 900 pages, the countercultural icon’s new book covers everything from fifth-century Roma music to Miriam Makeba. But, he argues, the drum machine marked the end of history

The Guardian - UK

"God is punishing me for my past wickedness by keeping me alive and in as much pain as he can": The tortured and tumultuous life of the late Ginger Baker

Driving across deserts, owning polo ponies, making and losingfortunes, influencing generations of musicians… Ginger Baker‘s story nothing was like no one else's

Louder

Afrobeat’s global ambassador: Femi Kuti’s musical activism

Forging his own artistic path in the shadow of Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti was a challenge that his son, Femi Kuti, struggled with in the early years of his career, he reveals. The Nigerian musician joins us in the studio to discuss the highs and lows of growing up with…

France 24

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Burna Boy at Glastonbury review – Afro-fusion maestro starts Pyramid stage party

The Nigerian brings an electrifying energy and prompts a mass singalong accompaniment to his signature baritone

The Guardian - UK

Janelle Monáe: ‘I have to feel a film role in my pubic hairs. They have to vibrate’

As she prepares for a UK tour – including Glastonbury – the singer and actor answers your questions on Prince, what makes her blush, and why we shouldn’t ostracise AI

The Guardian - UK

Noisy, performative and unapologetically non-European: Nigeria welcomes a museum like no other

The John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Lagos ‘pops with colour and sound’ in a dazzling departure from the colonial model

The Guardian - UK

‘Bass on one shoulder, bow and arrows on the other’: life with Fela Kuti on history’s most dangerous tour

In 1979, my father Roy Ayers went on an extraordinary three-week tour with the Afrobeat pioneer amid extreme violence in Nigeria. Three band members recount the unforgettable trip

The Guardian - UK

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I wept at 'Band on The Run' in London's top Dolby Atmos theater – in a good way

Just over 50 years on from its 1973 release, you can now hear Macca and Co. in a stunning Dolby Atmos mix – or better yet, with all of the over-dubs removed.

TechRadar

‘Fela Kuti was always in his pants’: legendary music photographer Val Wilmer’s greatest shoots

She ate fried chicken with BB King, gave Jimi Hendrix a lift home from a gig and accidentally worked for MI6. The pioneer recalls her favourite subjects – and the ones like Miles Davis she’d rather forget

The Guardian - UK

Ezra Collective review – a home-town triumph for jazz’s young heroes

Fresh from their Mercury prize win, the genre-melting, future-building London party band bring out guests aplenty in a night of inspirational, infectious joy

The Guardian - UK

‘Suffering and smiling’: Festivalgoers decry state of affairs in Nigeria

Festival attendees say the late Fela Kuti’s criticism of Nigeria’s government is still relevant decades after his death.

Al Jazeera

‘I love and hate Bruno Mars at the same time’: Babatunde Aléshé’s honest playlist

The comedian is a fan of Fela Kuti and has mixed feelings about a certain uptown-funking hitmaker – but who did he most want to be growing up?

The Guardian - UK

‘She spoke truth to power, always’: Sinéad O’Connor’s affinity with Black music – and liberation

The Irish musician expressed solidarity and an appreciation for Black music with gospel, rap and roots reggae recordings, which were often fuelled by her own experiences of marginalisation

The Guardian - UK

Womad review – more music festivals need this vitality, daring and breadth

Quirky, brilliant and politically forthright acts from over 40 countries, among them Femi Kuti, Susana Baca, Souad Massi and 47Soul, grace the festival’s 41st edition

The Guardian - UK

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Evening Standard

Afrobeats superstar Wizkid: ‘I’m here to steer the new generation – we’re the kings now’

Ahead of his huge gig in London this month, the ‘Star Boy’ talks about how music saved his life, how he sometimes feels like God and how his mum made him a go-getter

The Guardian - UK

Glastonbury headline sets – ranked!

From Bowie’s stage invader to Stormzy’s ballet, the festival has seen some unforgettable lead acts. We round up the best ever

The Guardian - UK

Africa Rising With Afua Hirsch review – 51 more episodes of this fascinating series please!

This skilful three-part documentary about Africa’s cultural renaissance looks at Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa. Expect everything from TikTok dances to the legacy of Fela Kuti

Kiplinger

A Grandparent’s Guide to Today’s Popular Music

A guide for grandparents to today's popular music, including how to stream music online.

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The Independent UK

Released on bail, Nigeria’s Kuti to begin concert tour amid assault trial

Nigerian Afrobeat star Seun Kuti, who is facing trial on on charges of assaulting a police officer, will embark on a delayed concert tour after being released on bail, his manager said Wednesday

Los Angeles Times

Want the real Afrobeats experience? For many Black Angelenos, that means a trip to Africa

LOS ANGELES — The first thing Dee Williams noticed was that it felt like home.

The Guardian - UK

‘People were going crazy’ – how the Super Eagles took the world by storm

A new documentary charts the success of Nigeria in the 1990s and what it meant to the country’s people, including the daughter of the executed activist Ken Saro-Wiwa

The Conversation

Nigeria elections: the surprising influence of Afrobeats music on politics

In the run-up to Nigeria’s February 2023 elections, the country’s younger generation has mobilised to demand change and redefine the political landscape – and music has been pivotal.

Radio France Internationale

Paris exhibition celebrates Fela Kuti, the rebel king of Afrobeat

The Paris Philharmonie is paying homage to Fela Kuti, pioneer of Afrobeat – a musical current that emerged from Nigeria in a swirl of postcolonial enthusiasm, experimentation and political rebellion. A major exhibition traces the origins of Fela Kuti's pan-African activism and his lasting influence.

France 24

Rebellion Afrobeat: Growing up with Fela Kuti

Nigerian star Fela Kuti is one of the 20th century's musical pioneers. He not only created Afrobeat, which combines free jazz, funk and multiple musical genres from West Africa, but was also politically active. Kuti braved police brutality as he questioned the Nigerian military dictatorship, corruption in Africa and around…

The Conversation

How Burna Boy set the world alight with his mixed brew of influences

Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy burst onto the global stage in 2018 with a slew of irresistible hits on his third album, Outside, accompanied by mandatory fiendish good looks and charm. Grammy and BET awards helped firm up his status within a highly competitive global music industry.

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