Fela ‘Anikulapo’ Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat music. Musician, political activist, human rights campaigner, and mesmerizing performer. Here he sings Army Arrangement. To my great regret I never got to see him but his music lives on through his sons Femi and Seun. I have heard Antibalas, a NY based Afrobeat group, at Columbia. Just great music. Fela Kuti’s music inspired Ginger Baker, Roy Ayers, and Branford Marsalis. Here is a 1971 clip from Ginger Baker’s documentary on Kuti and Afrika 70.
Update: Ghana just beat Nigeria, 2-1 in the first ACN quarterfinal.