Fela Kuti just keeps on coming back. AIDS awareness organization Red Hot is due to release RED HOT + FELA, an album of Kuti classics, reworked by a roster of all-star musicians.
It’s hard to imagine a better champion for AIDS than Fela Kuti, who lost his battle with the disease in 1997. Far more importantly, Kuti was a demagogue in a time of fear – songs such as “Zombie” took dangerous shots at an oppressive government, and yet Kuti proved impossible to silence. Interest has swelled in the Nigerian maverick of late, and readers may remember seeing his name with an exclamation point. FELA! a musical based on Kuti’s life, has reached dizzying heights of popularity over the past couple of years. A list of superb musicians, including ?uestlove, Childish Gambino, and My Morning Jacket pay homage to his memory in this collection.
Roots wunderkind ?uestlove partners up with tUnE-yArDs, Angelique Kidjo, and Akua Naru for a fresh take on the Afrobeat epic “Lady”. My Morning Jacket, fresh off an appearance alongside Wilco and Bob Dylan, are in for a cover of “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am” with Merrill Garbus and Brittany Howard.
Red Hot + Fela
01. Buy Africa
Baloji & L’Orchestre de la Katuba featuring Kuku
02. Lady
tUnE-yArDs, Questlove, Angelique Kidjo + Akua Naru
03. Yellow Fever
Spoek Mathambo + Zaki Ibrahim
04. No Buredi
Nneka, Sinkane, Amayo + Superhuman Happiness
05. Who No Know Go No
Just A Band + Childish Gambino
06. Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am
My Morning Jacket w/ Merrill Garbus + Brittany Howard
07. Sorrow Tears and Blood
Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe, Kronos Quartet + Stuart Bogie
08. ITT
Superhuman Happiness w/ Sahr Ngaujah, Abena Koomson + Rubblebucket
09. Afrodisco Beat 2013
Tony Allen, M1 + Baloji
10. Gentleman
Just A Band, Bajah + Chance the Rapper
11. Hi Life Time
GendEr Infinity
12. Zombie
Spoek Mathambo +Cerebral Cortex + Frown
13. Go Slow
King
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