Afrobeat is to Nigeria as Reggae is to Jamaica: music intrinsically tied to its country of origin, while having profound influence on Western popular music. And the key keeper of Afrobeat’s legacy, Femi Kuti, has released No Place for My Dream on Knitting Factory Records.
Femi channels his father, which is not to say that he sounds like Fela, but that the spirit of Fela’s authenticity is present. Urgency is the musical message throughout the varying tempo changes and the tight musicianship of No Place for My Dream (tip: strap in before you play “Wey Our Money“), and the recurring theme of social and economic stratification can be applied far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Femi is currently touring the central US and Canada in the next few weeks. Find *No Place for My Dream* here.
— Osman Ali
Femi Kuti – Nothing To Show For It
