Reviews (page 2 of 8)
8/10 Best songs: Wonder Wonder Incredibly enjoyable afrobeat album. It does have a bit of a 90s vibe to it (the saxophones and some of the production dates it), but man, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album as much as I do. It's catchy, the beat has me shimmying my shoulders, and there are terrific vibes all around. My one complaint: the album is a bit too long, so I got kind of tired of it by the end. Not sure if this is getting 4 or 5 stars - it's on the border. I may end up re-listening and re-rating in the future.
This was a lot of fun. An album just as good as some of his dad’s
Ahhh this is literally genius. Big shoes to fill and filled them fantastically
Good energy for live music but without the visual element and a good crowd, it falls a bit flat for me.
Very fun!! I generally love a good groove and this was definitely that. I really enjoyed the saxophone and the beat and it was just consistently good from start to finish. Still not the BEST I've heard but very good none the less.
Cool background music
Apesar de músicas muito longas, é um disco legal, serve pra dançar, pra curtir prestando atenção.
In the words of Markus Krunegård: "Ge mig ingen vit skit ge mig afrobeat"
It was fine. I saw him play once, quite late on stage, quite drunk, wanted to talk about Black Panther (he was not a fan), and the music / performance was pretty cool.
Plenty Nonsense indeed.
Tells a story of what life is like through examples of struggle, hope, and identity. I don't think this album comes to conclusion other than you can always sing about your experiences.
Ive never been too huge on alot of this afro centric music but I do have to say this is easily the biggest point against that bias. This is legitimately good. A bit repetitive for my tastes but it does a good job of keeping the pot stirred. Just doing something new alot while keeping a motif going the whole 10 minutes. Starts off well with wonder wonder. Thats probably the most fun I had on the album. Makes a good first impression. And I liked Nawa alot too. Its very punky at the start and thats my weakness. I love it and hearing it im this context is dope. Those were my saves but I liked everything here. Just hard for me to save songs that are this long. Thats probably my biggest gripe with the whole thing. Every song is about 10 minutes. It just throws a wrench in a whole like shuffle. Especially when I like lots of 2 minute punk songs. The flow dies. Also im a variety kinda guy so hanging for 10 minutes on one song isnt my style. But its very good despite that. Keeps it from being amazing but I still loved it. Got lots of good things to say about it. Killer little record
Loved the first half of this. Second half became a bit of a blur. I reckon with more time I'd love the rest too.
i don’t know if this is a high two or a low three. i didn’t love it. i also didn’t mind it. but i was also kind of done with it 5 songs before it was over.
This is alright, fairly classic African music, maybe it was more revolutionary when it came out, but it feels very standard to my ears in 2026. It is fun and the rhythms are cool, a lot of his songs seem to be specifically about Africa, which seems sensible, but from my head Africa is flippin' enormous and the idea that you can collate that together and sing a bunch of songs which cover all of it in one go feels bonkers. I can't imagine someone singing about all of Europe, but my knowledge is low here, so maybe he can. I think generally I just got bored and found it samey and nothing really captured me as mind blowing. Not bad, not really good, just what it was, which makes the generic feeling jump out more... Erm, is it a 2 or a 3. I'm gonna go 2 simply cos non of it felt especially memorable to me.
7/10
Meh. Not my bag
Pretty lively
Glastonbury Sunday 11am Pyramid Stage vibes.
Bop after bop. Could listen to this in any mood!
So refreshing and genuine
Some brilliant tracks. Just doesn't quite hold up for the whole album
Super groovy album. Blends some really cool stuff together. I quite enjoyed this one.
I’ve started listening to Fela this year and listened to him a lot. So it was very cool to see this album pop up. At first I enjoyed it, but it was a little too clean and polished for me. However in the middle of the album it started to have that unpredictable, free-flowing energy that so much of Felas music has. It became unleashed especially on Frustrstions and Nana. Now maybe I shouldn’t have expected/wanted another Fela record and let Femi develop his own sound. And who knows - maybe I’ll come to appreciate his own version of the Afrobeat style from the first few tracks in the future. But for now on first listen - 4 stars.
I saw Femi Kuti and the Positive Force in Seattle during Groundwork and they were fantastic. I’m happy this album is the same!
These nine minute songs lose a bit of momentum after the long instrumental intros.
Not my thing but enjoyed a bit
Good vibes
It's afrobeat/afropop. Not a genre I seek out, but man is it good.
Nja... Absolut inte dåligt. Jag fick dock inte alls samma wow-känsla som när jag lyssnade på hans pappas album för ett par månader sedan. Texterna är bra och musiken likaså men jag dras liksom inte med. Låtarna är långa och jag blir stundtals ofokuserad. En stabil trea ändå men inte mer än så.
Afrobeat is cool. This was pretty good. Not really my thing, but upbeat and very backgroundable.
No
Chill bob-marley-esque music
Upbeat, afrobeat, just a bit of this and that, there's a soul you cannot deny in African music, and a sense of warmth that grabs you even if life beats you hard, so you beat harder, and those beats regain the joy.
not really into afro beats, nor do I appreciate saxophones. Couple of good rhythms, but that's about it
A fun easy listen - great horn section and some great grooves - especially towards the end of the record. A bit too much sax in places. Not sure will return that often so its a high3.
Funky entertainment for a while. Bit jazz jamming on some tracks, but overall a lively, upbeat listen.
Nice music
incredible ngl. pure art in the form of a album.
It was ok. The music was upbeat. The album sounded kind of samey throughout though. Not bad but not my cup of tea.
Definitely a slightly smoother sound than his dad, which isn't quite as much my thing, but this was still good! "Nawa" "Plenty Nonsense" 'Stubbor Problems" and "Changes" were the standouts for me
very nice something else 6/10
What’s not to like about this trrrific African musician?
High energy beats, jazz and funk in manageable chunks, harnessing rage in the rich tradition of protest songs.
Not as good as his dad but good enough to keep me listening
Slightly more restrained than his old man, which is no bad thing. But it retains the enjoyable rhythms and, crucially, the powerful lyrics. 3*
Nawa
Good world music
Good stuff!
Not my jam at all...
So I guess Afrobreat is a genre I like now
afro and jazzy-ish. not really my thing -- too repetitive, kinda boring
Perfectly nice stuff
Wow, this felt like essential listening, and it brought me a lot of joy
I very much enjoyed listening to this, but I would not come back to it as it’s not my styleI.
Enjoyed the listen, but it’s just a run-of-the-mill afrobeat album.
big 3
Not unlikeable but a little bit samey
Everything I loved about Fela Kuti’s music but with its own distinct voice that sets it apart. Femi Kuti provides a great continuation of his father’s legacy without it being “just more of the same.”
Mood music with up-tempo african beat, but not for me as an album experience.
The music is fine, but the whole thing just goes on too long. If the tracks had been shorter I’d probably have scored this higher but as it was it started to grate on me long before the end
I largely enjoyed this. The afrobeats are great - catchy, energetic, and just really interesting to listen to. I can’t pretend that I caught a lot of the lyrics - where they exist, as there was such a focus on instrumentals - and I can’t pretend it didn’t go on too long to be in my sweet spot for a solid listening experience. However, overall, this was quite appealing.
I did not expect to like this one little bit: the first thing I did was audibly groan at it being 73 minutes long. But I listened to it while getting ready in the morning and it was a great start to the day. Most enthusiastic brushing of my teeth in as long as I can remember. This project has definitely cemented my suspicion that I will, at minimum, passively appreciate brass in essentially any genre. But this went past that into dancing in the house. For some reason the too much repetition that I can often find annoying was really charming on this, call and response style. I also enjoyed No Shame's funky organ solo. It is too long, and I am not sure whether I will listen to it again as I suspect repeat listens will start to highlight the things I normally object to, but I did really enjoy it today. 3/5 (but was close to a 4)
How can one but like this music?
dragged a bit tho obviously good
My knowledge of Afrobeat is basically nil, so I don't have much to compare this album to. (Wikipedia tells me I should really dig into his father's work.) Anyway, I enjoyed it and the performances were tight. I'd like to hear this at full volume at an open-air club on a sultry night with the first hints of a storm breeze pushing through.
Loads of fun
Thoughts before listening: Fela's son Femi who continued his dad's legacy for jazzy funk rock with African instrumentation and inspiration. Fela is great, but I don't believe I have heard much of Femi's work. I'm excited to give this a listen. Review: Yeah so this is a more modern, better produced update on Fela's sound. I rather enjoyed this album. Lots of deep African funk grooves with strong instrumentation and meaningful lyrics. 4-stars
Artiste inconnu. Accompagnement plutôt intéressant, mais avec le chant les morceaux deviennent répétitifs et inutilement longs. Pas sur d'avoir envie de l'écouter une seconde fois. =>2/5
I liked this, jazzy and funky with some long jams. I get the sense that the more I listen to this the more I would like it. Glad to have heard it
Es liefert soliden Afrobeat, bleibt jedoch stilistisch stereotypisch - wie die Jute auf dem Cover - und entwickelt kaum eigene Akzente und Zero “Wow-Momente”.
Really liked the instrumentals but the songs were quite long
Wonder wonder - 3 Survival - 3 Frustrations - 3 Nawa - intro - na Nawa - 3 Plenty nonsense - 3 Stubborn problems - 3 No shame - 3 Live for today - 3 Changes - 3
very fun! not really my favorite type of music, but very enjoyable! worth one listen, but I won't be revisiting this on purpose.
A decent listen, one that continues his family’s engagement with Pan-Africanist politics and the dilemmas of that worldview in the 1990s. It has a lively sound that makes it listenable with lots of jazzy instruments. It is a bit long though, both within individual songs and as a whole. We get intros as long as standard songs! Worth a listen, but only a solid 3* I think.
This album was a great showcase of the genre known as Afrobeat, a mix of jazz, funk and Nigerian and Ghanaian music. There's a lot to like on this record, with politically charged lyrics, catchy melodies, and funky rhythms throughout. Femi is the son of the genre's pioneer Fela Kuti, whose music I am keen to explore further.
This was a fun saxophone-driven Afrobeat album, with some very good political lyrics strongly influenced by Pan-Africanist ideas, like his father Fela Kuti before him. However, I found both the album as a whole and many of its individual tracks were overly long for my liking, especially as they all had a similar vibe, sound and structure: a long instrumental introduction followed by call and response vocals, some instrumental solos, and/or an instrumental coda. It was good, and I particularly enjoyed the energy of the performances, but it got quite samey by the end. A decent 3 stars overall.
Fela Kuti left a big legacy on music to the world and Femi (one of his three children) is no slouch either. Continues his father's legacy with a more 90s studio sound accompanying him. Afrobeat is the peak music genre.
This was good albeit too long. I can imagine myself in an African club somewhere enjoying this.
Tabu Records 314530477-2 (US) CD rip: This sounds like something your friend's "hip" mom played in her kitchen in the 90s. African Kenny G. You're walking around downtown in some small US city on a Sunday afternoon and they're playing at a pavilion in a park to 30 boomers sitting in camping chairs drinking Franzia. So cultured.
nice funky African album, enjoyed the sounds on it
First listen
Loved this!
I wish it was less brass and more rhythm 2/5
Discovering Afrobeat has been one of the best things to come from doing this challenge.
It’s fine Didn’t blow my mind but I enjoyed my time with it Favorites: frustration, wonder wonder 3 or 3.5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the saxophone and the call and answer style of this album. A product of its time, it seeks to parse through social, economical, and political problems affecting the musician as well as fellow Nigerians and Africans in the late 90’s. Questions of unity in Africa, the struggle of the youth in making a life for themselves, and the rapid changes in the social climate as the world continues to change from what the singer once experienced. You can tell the album is personal, and on that basis I really enjoyed it. I do think some of the songs felt repetitive and sometimes overstayed their welcome. Some of the lyrics can be considered questionable by today’s standards. As such, it’s not my favorite so far, but it was still a decent listen. 2/1001
This is what I was hoping there would be more of in this list (I'm just over a year in). What a fresh change to Nick Cave and Elvis Costello's entire back catalogues. I'll be searching out more Femi Kuti as I'm guessing this is only album here...
Oof, I dunno, this is danceable and I appreciate when an artist goes as saxophone forward as Femi does here, but to be frank when I listen to these modular chunks of Afro-choogling, vehicle for insipid meandering on themes like "Will Africa ever unite?" and "Will Jesus ever come?," and compare (unfair as it is and ashamed as I am of it when I take a sec to think, as someone who works with kids and thinks kids always come first and knows how suffocating a parent's legacy can be) to papa Fela's polytropic arrangements and era-defining balance of personal pomp and punk politics and just like sinuous joy, I can't help but feel that the succession was too much for Femi and he'd've been better off just playing alto in a Sunday church band or just goin' out like Kendall Roy.
I had to stop listening to this because I just wasn't in the mood. Put it on again in the car and enjoyed the African rhythms. However by the end of it I'd had enough. Didn't change my life.
This album was a nice break from Rod Stewart (who I got two of in the previous days). And it was a sonically lovely trip to Western Africa. There's elements of what feels like jazz mixed into the Afrobeat, and I don't totally know how to describe it but it was beautiful to listen to. I'm not sure how often I'd seek it out, but it was a very pleasant listen.
Femi Kuti inherited one of the most formidable traditions in modern music — his father Fela invented Afrobeat, built it into something completely singular, and left his son with an inheritance that would be either a launchpad or a weight depending on what he did with it. This debut record answers the question convincingly: Femi found his own lane within the tradition without abandoning what made the tradition worth inheriting. The songs are long and the grooves meander, which in lesser hands would be the criticism. Here it's the point. The extended runtimes aren't indulgence — they're the groove finding itself, the ensemble exploring rather than executing, the kind of collective musical thinking that rewards being in the room with it. The Masekela listen had this same quality, and the same verdict applies: meandering in a good way is a meaningful distinction from meandering as a symptom of a band losing the thread. The ska and reggae affinities that surface throughout aren't coincidence or borrowing — they're family resemblance. Afrobeat, ska, and reggae share common African rhythmic ancestry, and hearing those connections in Femi's playing is hearing the same polyrhythmic Yoruba foundation that Fela built the genre on, just traveled through different routes to different destinations. What the record does most consistently is make you want to move, which sounds simple and is actually the hardest thing to achieve. Entrancing is the right word — the groove pulls without demanding, which is the mark of a band operating at a genuinely high level. A strong four. The son made something worth hearing entirely on its own terms.
Really good album. Quite enjoyable to listen to.
This is an incredible album. So smooth, the 9 minute songs do not feel like it at all, I could do this for hours. So well done, such a good continuation and improvement on his father's work, just incredible.
I expected very little from this and was dismayed when I saw the track listing sporting more than an hour of playtime and several songs north of 5m. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a really, really solid and unique album and an enjoyable listen the whole way through. The compositions are interesting and the arrangements are absolutely stellar. This album feels fresh and engaging pretty much the whole way through, and that is no small feat for an album with every full song being more than 5m long. Honestly stellar work on Femi Kuti's part. Definitely worth checking out.
More catchy music from the Kuti family!
Ummm. Ok
Rhythmic horn sections and hypnotic baselines. I'm sold. And moving!
Musically gifted, and takes after his father in this way. Not known for his association with women in the way his father was, but he does hold the Guinness record for longest single saxophone note at over 51 minutes!
Different but enjoyable.
Not my style.
Ma kujutan ette, et see on täpselt selline asi, mida ma Viljandi folgil kuulaksin ja tantsiksin kaasa. Siis oleks see 10/10 kogemus. Aga need lood pole päris mõeldud järelkuulamiseks, st need mõjuksid laivis kontserdil niiiiii palju paremini. Plaadilt saan selle vaibi ja õõtsumise kätte vähemalt. Hea afrobeat mõnusa perkussi, puhkpillide ja trummiga. 3.5/5
Another album I couldn't get into. Just not sure when I would ever listen to this.
Eh
I like the trumpets
Musically not bad , nice Afro Beat Jazz Psych , laughing about the message from a millionaire African born in London
Good world music
Would buy
lovely beats and valuable story telling
The best thing I can say about this album is that its length is barely noticeable. To me, it felt more like a gallery of different sounds than a collection of individual songs. It fuses jazz-funk, soul, and Afrobeat into something that feels like a modern interpretation of those traditions. It’s vibrant, upbeat, and highly musical. As a whole, it almost feels like one long composition that constantly evolves and shifts. The groove never really lets up, which is both a strength and a weakness. The rhythm just keeps going, and there’s very little breathing room. I couldn’t really form an emotional connection with it, but I appreciate it for what it is. It’s a very well-crafted album. My favorite song is "Survival". The main motiff is incredibly catchy.
Overall, a solid album. While the comparison is a bit disingenuous, Femi Kuti's solo debut is obviously several tiers below his father's work. The ambition is there, but the build-ups often failed to meet my relatively high expectations. Still, it's enjoyable, just not as transcendent as something like Zombie. Favourite track: Plenty Nonsense
Meh. 2/5
An enjoyable listen. Not normally my cup of tea but reminded me of Buena Vista Social Club as a good vibe music. 3/5.
Naja
Femi Kuti brought the music of West Africa to American shores, a genre his father helped pioneer. This is enough to get yourself into the 1001 on its own, but the music is pretty great (I imagine especially live). Unfortunately Femi Kuti doesn't do it for me behind the microphone and his lyrics missed the mark more often than not.
Beautiful fun hot humid morning run. I initially thought this was one of his dad’s records, and only just realized my mistake. Guess I’ve got some more studying to do!
Very much a case of picking up the baton from Fela and running with it, but what a smooth, seamless baton change it is - no US 100m relay type mix ups here...
Now that’s what I call music!
Ass
Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:✔️
A cleaner, smoother sound than his dad, and not quite as exciting
cool & confident
Really fun jazz jam rock. This guy has something to say and combines it with music that really rocks the party. This album sweetened my work day and it definitely will do so again.
Great songs, great music, great lyrics, great message!
As a westerner, I appreciate that the list has albums like these that I wouldn't normally listen to, with this album being a perfect example. It's upbeat and repetitive but I am better for hearing it's sound and getting exposed to more. Top tracks: "Wonder Wonder," "Nawa"
--Wonder, Wonder...funky and fun --Survival...excellent xylophone (marimba?) work. nice horns, too --Frustrations...alto sax? killer solo. here comes the trumpet. too long but another good one --Nawa (Intro)...intro --Nawa...another fun groove but things are starting to sound samey --Plenty Nonsense...this feels a little more Latin-influenced? whatever the influence, it kicks --Stubborn Problems...I don't think my head has stopped moving this entire LP. percussion shines here --No Shame...now you're throwing some keyboard wizardry at me?! --Live for Today...LP is too long but it's full of surprises. having a real good time --Changes...first one I'm not totally grooving to. something about this feels forced? It's fine but probably unnecessary on this already overlong album
My rating 3.3. I enjoyed the first half of the Album but by the end it seemed to get repetitious. Enjoyed the horn section though.
3.8/5
06/23 Was fine, but goes on for way too long
This was an interesting album. I love to hear rhythms from around the world.
Loved it.
Woah
So this is afrobeat. Not bad, reminds me of jazz. Smooth.
I'm just not that into afrobeat. It was fine but nothing stood out at all.
Solid feel-good West African music right here. Happy to have listened, would gladly spin again.
Afrobeat. Taking music and lyrics out of context of time and place can cause a bit of whiplash. How do you judge? Should you judge? I enjoyed the music and recognized the political here. Nigeria has a really crappy relationship with queer folk. One of the songs, "Changes", talks about homosexuality and probably transness. Looking into what Femi had to say about it is that it is a human right. He also says that there isn't a history of talking about it pre-Christianity or western interference. I don't know what that means. Given all the other people first songs here and the anti government and corruption, I may give him a pass unless it is proven otherwise. In spite of that, this is sometimes fun but always with politics. It is like a lot of music that I really like.
Time to listen a double album whort of african music lets go. Its not a bad album but: 1. Its long as shit, all the songs are 9 minutes long. While song lenght is not a problem for me, it becomes one when im listening to something I enjoy only in small dose. It also becomes a problem when... 2. All the songs sounds the same. Making the 73 minutes runtime feel even longuer than they already are. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ONLY MAKE A DOUBLE LP IF ITS DIVERSE AND INTERESTING. Nobody, even hardcore fans, wants to listen to 70 minutes of the same shit(only if you do it exeptionaly well ig). 3. I dont have a third point idk man. Overall its an ok listen.
Not my favorite but man I always like getting albums outside the anglosphere There’s something just very satisfying about this music, “tactile” maybe? I like how it’s just a very straightforward expression of feelings, while still having enough to say to make it worth listening deeper. Just fun to dance to I don’t think there’s a whole lot that makes it stand out from other Nigerian/African music I’ve been exposed to, but apparently it sorta led to the spread of the genre outside the continent so that’s pretty cool. Variety’s not great on this one which sucks since it’s such a long album and individual tracks drag a bit Probably won’t listen to this one a bunch more but I will 100% take this over the swath of pretentious mediocre albums that this list seems to love
I like music from outside the anglosphere because actually they just want to dance. music should be fun. you should be happy listening to it and i vibe with that
The mean track length here is over 7 minutes. And without the (unnecessary) 30-second interlude, that average jumps to over 8 minutes. I got places to be, man! Regardless, despite my low expectations, this music was pretty good. Nothing legendary, and no particular standout tracks (other than the earlier ones like Wonder Wonder and Survival being more enjoyable simply in virtue of them appearing early in the album before my patience had run thin). Just 73 minutes of lighthearted world-tinged jamming with a fairly clear political undertone. It's good, it's different, it's nothing spectacular. The instrumentation and musicianship is definitely on point, while the songwriting (mostly song structure) is... well, not great. Love the sax-playing though. I don't trust any 1-star reviews for this album. But nor do I trust any 5-star reviews. Judging by the period in which the Femi Kuti record was released and the subsequent number of Spotify listens, the tracks on here were clearly not very influential on audiences, either for their time or in the present day. I would even vouch that a significant proportion of Femi Kuti's present day attention is from the 1001 Albums project itself. Some of the inclusions on this list feel a bit performative, in the sense that someone thought, "Huh, too many UK and US albums? Better grab one from Nigeria to appease the critics. Can't be too careful these days." and this album is one of them. And considering global influence is a very real factor affecting how good and how significant music (and art in general) is, I can't in good conscience give this a perfect rating.
I saw Femi play way back in about 1998 or so, around when Shoki Shoki came out. I remember an about 10-piece band and about 10 dancers all on stage, everyone smiling and having a great time. The crowd was ecstatic. Very memorable and joyful communal experience. This album is very fine. Not a 5-star masterpiece, but generally highly-likeable.
I’m behind so I’m going to drunkenly review a bunch of albums #3. I actually thought this was fckn sick, carries the energy my ideal live album (live albums are awful)
Funky, with entrancing beats. Although, the song length is a bit too long.
Funky and jazzy with African beats. Perfect for a sunny day.
2.56
This was a good listen. Sometimes I like a bit of 'easy listening'. Definitely fits the 'Elevator music' category. Enjoyable. A hasty listen because I could see that Bowie was the next listen! Sorry Femi.
I enjoyed this one! Some fun rhythms.
Fun album that I would listen to again.
fucking groovy. i dont usually like jam, but i like that its political and energetic for the whole hour and fifteen. thanks for including bands not british and not new wave. not classic rock. this shit bangs.
pésimo
Compared to the crap fest of brit pop on this list, a much, much welcome change. An excellent job by Mr. Kuti and friends to put together a wonderful jazz album
Great album
Like 30 minutes too long. Not everything “ethnic” needs to be on this list. I’ve now listened to about 20 African albums and I’m just in the 300s.
An African album sung almost entirely in English. Great vocals and instrumentals. The subject matter for a few of the songs was actually interesting. Not really my genre, not sure what you call this? But still enjoyable. 7/10
I liked this album more than I thought I would. Fun listen! 7/10 Top song Plenty nonsense
Actually a pleasant listen. I dug the music side, which was kind of a jazzy-big band combo, and even the vocals were good. I think a lot of that was due to a good amount of the vocals being in English, so I was still engaged. But anyways, a pleasant surprise!
African folk music just not really my vibe.
African jazz. Pretty solid.
6.5/10
Lekkere opener! En sowieso weer erg fijn om een album te krijgen dat, ten minste in eerste instantie, van buiten de Westerse wereld komt. Ik begrijp de insteek van de schrijvers en ze kunnen er ook niet super veel aan doen, maar als er dan een keer wat anders voorbij komt, word ik daar vaak wel gelukkig van! Helemaal als het meer in de jazzy richting gaat, de Afrikaanse melodieën zijn vaak interessant en compleet anders dan de westerse maten die gebruikt worden. De nummers duren lang, maar er gebeurt zo ontzettend veel dat ik me eigenlijk geen seconde verveel. Er word gezongen met een urgentie dat ik het jammer vind dat ik de taal niet begrijp en daarnaast zit alles gewoon ijzersterk in elkaar. Het swingt, het gaat snel en ondanks dat je vaak de Call and answer hebt die je vaker in Afrikaanse muziek/jazz hebt zorgt de muziek er verder voor dat het interessant en spannend blijft. De instrumentale solo's? Wát een stukken zijn dat, elke keer dat je denkt dat ze alles er uit hebben gehaald gaan ze nóg een tempootje omhoog, of word de solo nog langer doorgetrokken. Ik kende de artiest niet, maar ik weet wel dat ik hier meer naar ga luisteren en ga opzoeken. Het is bijna onmogelijk om stil te blijven zitten bij dit album, wát een heerlijke ontdekking is dit. En na deze lofzang? Dan is er eigenlijk maar 1 beoordeling passend. Dit was ruim een uur puur genieten, een absolute must-listen en wat ben ik blij dat mijn muziek kennis weer een beetje verbreed is. FAVO: Wonder wonder, Frustration, Nawa, Plenty Nonsense, No Shame, Changes
Better than Coldplay
The afrobeat is strong with this one.
This was boring me - "will africa ever be free?" - Don't care, where's the rawk. Then they got into the instrumentals. Mostly Western instrumentation with African percussion and vocal harmonies. And it kinda grooves.
This is alright but not as good as his father's previous album I got, which I believe was the first album on this list for me.
I enjoyed Fela Kuti's albums on this list, and that was a huge mantle to take over, but Femi manages it with aplomb. While the undeniable DNA of Fela’s pioneering Afrobeat is still the beating heart of this record, Femi manages to carve out his own distinct, highly accessible space by blending in vibrant, funky jazz vibes. The saxophone solos are fire, and those basslines are so tight they hook you from the first second. It’s such an uplifting listen that manages to be a total dance party while still hitting hard with the political lyrics. Between tracks like "Wonder Wonder" and "Plenty Nonsense," it’s clear Femi isn’t just living off his family name, he’s a proving he's an artist in his own right.
Man, I can't believe nepo babies are a thing in afrobeat too. Nah, I'm just kidding. Femi Kuti may perhaps have his fame mostly due to being the son of the greatest afrobeat artist to ever live, Fela Kuti, but he manages to succeed his father pretty well on this album of his. Granted, this album isn't better than Fela's album that I've heard, Zombie, but it's still a good time. I like afrobeat as a genre, okay? It appeals to me in all the right ways. The bouncy fun energy combined with the uplifting political lyrics work perfectly together and are the exact kind of thing that I like about music as a whole. Although, I will say that this album actually has a problem that is the exact opposite of Zombie. My one and only complaint that I had with Zombie was that there wasn't more of it. That album was like, what, 25 minutes or something? I was just getting into it when the album ended! Femi Kuti's album, however, has the exact opposite issue of being really long. 25 minutes may have been too little for me, but 74 minutes is a bit too long for my liking. Granted, I still really enjoyed the music, but the complaint is there. Other than that, I had a fun time. The writing is thoughtful and the songs are good. This might not be a masterpiece, but I liked it nonetheless. Femi Kuti may not have surpassed his father in terms of album quality, but I think Fela would be pretty proud of this. Low 4/5.
Utterly forgettable, nothing worthy of an entry here.
The apple falls not far from the tree. It's a powerful groove that I could happily listen to all day. No notes.
Well produced, good arrangements, fun music with plenty of thought inspiring lyrics. Very musical, probably going to make your hips wiggle and feet shuffle if you get into it. Pretty sexy throughout.
this album wasnt really for me (i hate really long songs for the most part) but i feel like i could like other songs by him
Vibrant and passionate, absolutely pulsing with soul
This funky album sounds like a party. I enjoyed the album but there was just something about it that I thought made it a touch lower than some of the other Afrobeat albums I have listened to. I think the vocals might have been a little too much for me, but it was still an interesting listen. I might not put this album on again, but I'm glad I listened to it.
Upbeat, fun
Another example of the kind of stuff I'm here for. I never works have gone looking for African 90s jazz, but I'm super glad I found it
This is why I like this project
There were some wonderful drums in places but way too much brass for me. A bit too long.
Lovely sounds, nice vocal. A little long but I enjoyed it.
now this is gold, piekne i organiczne, fela must be proud lol, daje czwórkę bo trochę brakowało mi jakiegoś pazura żeby lepiej zapamiętać ten album jako arcydzieło, ale jest super
African Unite!
It’s fine, I enjoy the horns and occasional marimba. It’s not really my kind of music, and the songs are samey and too long.
Pretty unique. 4/5
Not an album I’d go for usually, but on a sunny afternoon in the garden, it’s great
There's something about the Kutis' brand of Afrobeat music that I just don't enjoy.
Muy bueno. Para mí es genial descubrir música nueva y más aun africana. El disco genial y aun mejor lo que fue derivando, ahora mismo suena Afrocubism - Jarabi.
This slaps, to be sure. Those horns are hot. Trumpet solo on "Plenty Nonsense" is on fire. Makes me want to get up and dance. And I hate dancing.
0.00
Quite liked elements. Wouldn’t revisit, but top musicianship and some good rhythms and melodies.
Although not my thing, I have to give a nod to some of the music that was really nice is parts.
Pretty good but I mostly hear a lesser version of Fela, think I'd rather go listen to that. The son of a famous musician is a tough one.
love it! african vibes and the sax as the leading instrument is a legendary combo
Even tho I thought it sounded good, there were way too much instrumentals, the songs were way too long and it all ended up blending together. I liked the vibe but a whole album is a no.
Nice album to listen to. I enjoyed Fela Kuti and this sounded somewhat similar. I can’t shake the feeling that this is sort of faux-Africa though, it’s like it’s trying too hard to appeal to a Western audience.
6/10
When to listen: Meal prepping dinner - which is when I listened to it. Loved the energy, this is a fun album!
wonderful assemble of energic afro-jazz tunes. Really upbeat and grooving. Super fun listen. Does anything stand out that makes this a classic, not really.
This is a really good worldbeat album - I have to say though - I can't do so many 9 minute songs. It's a bit laborious, y'all. THREE STARS
Good Sunday morning background music. Not a genre I generally seek out, but I can listen to it.
No, I'm done with this list, come on, how many "hit" records from Africa must you subject me to?! His dad has two albums on here already, both of which were not enjoyable, so you had to toss one in for his offspring? Is this really an album I must hear before I die? It's not. African jazz, you can't get much further from my sweet spot. I barely made it halfway through, after the 5th 9 minute song I threw in the towel. Not my thing, must be someone else's. 2 stars and that's way generous.
Unbelievable grooves and political activism. Sign me up!
Tropical vibes
Liked this more than I expected Playlist add: "Survival"
Femi Kuti is not the sort of music I would naturally choose to put on, but I can absolutely appreciate how good this album is. The musicianship throughout is brilliant and the whole record is packed with groove, rhythm and infectious beats. What really stood out to me was the variety across the album. There are elements of jazz, funk, afrobeat and soul all blended together, which keeps things interesting and gives the music loads of energy and movement. The instrumentation is excellent throughout and there’s a real liveliness to the sound. My only real criticism is that the album does start to drag a little towards the end and probably could have benefited from being slightly shorter. That said, it was still a really enjoyable and impressive listen overall. Favourite tracks: “Wonder Wonder”, “Survival” and “Stubborn Problems” were all great tracks Least favourite tracks: Nothing here felt completely out of place or skippable Album artwork: Standard album cover
lowk vibe
ja tja
This exactly what I have been waiting for. I love Femi’s dad Fela’s music so much. This is energetic, feels exciting to listen to and makes you want to move. I would give this a 4.5 if I could.
Finally a bit of fun on here. Enjoyed this, some interesting meanings as well as some fun. Very danceable.
Surprisingly fun world music, still not my jam
It’s a fun listen but doesn’t need to be that long
Quite fun. Lost interest a little toward the end
Great background music for work. 3.7.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
This had some energy and good sounds. Worth a listen.
A very well deserved 5.
Pretty good
This album started off excellent. Unlike his father's albums, which were also very good but somewhat repetitive, there's more diversity built into these songs. Just layer after layer which all fits together extremely well. The beats drive so well, whether it is bongos, other drums, the brass section, or even a syncopated solo sax. By the end of this, though, it felt a bit repetitive across songs. Generally liked it though. Wonder Wonder and Frustrations were the best tracks on this. 4 stars.
Solid
First time listen and really enjoyed it. I could see this being added to the regular rotation for sure. Lots of energy.
high tempo and funny
Femi is not as good as Fela, but still good.
There are some cool sounds here but nothing that makes love it.
I loved how celebratory and festive this felt with its deeper messages mixed throughout. Also loved the sax! Great new discovery.
It’s decent afrobeats but it goes on a long time and every song is basically same lyrics lol but it’s groovy. His dad did it better, I hope there’s some Fela on this list
Unexpected bop. It could’ve been like 20 mins shorter but honestly it was so groovy that half the time I didn’t even realize the songs were like 9 minutes long.
I appreciate it but only for a couple songs. It drags on for a casual listen
Lot of joy here
n tenho mt oq falar sobre é ok it's ok
umas músicas me lembram muito de talking heads, n ficaria surpresa se eles tivessem esse álbum como influência
This is one of the ones I've never heard of before going into this, but I absolutely loved this album. I'd probably say Nawa, Plenty Nonsense, No Shame, and Live For Today were my favorites, but you could put any of these on, and they're going to be an absolute banger. Maybe the only downside is that half the songs are 8+ minutes long, so it's not really a "pick up on a whim" sort of album. Also not sure why there's a 30 second song
Guy rocks
All new to me and really liked it
Awesome, great playing and beautiful energy. Essential?
nul nul nul
this ruled tbh. so energetic and fun. a wee bit long for my tastes but still a great time and worthy inclusion!
Awesome, soulful, funky, enjoyable album. More like this, please! Favorites: Wonder Wonder, Survival, Frustrations, Plenty Nonsense
Afro Beat with a conscience. Jazz, soul, and some Caribbean in there with the horns. Good upbeat world music, solid grooves and melodies. Some loooong tracks that can be like mantras or refrains.
This kind of blew me away
Yeah why not lets boogie Favorite Song: Survival
Der musikalische Ausdruck und die Innovation sind nicht so elementar wie bei seinem Vater Fela Kuti - aber definitiv ein Album, das man gehört haben sollte!
Half started this yesterday but relistened this morning. Very much a Saturday morning album. Fun, funky record, a bit chaotic and different to what's been on recently. Liked it a lot
Really good surprise. Had a lot of fun with this album. This is why I use this generator, to make discoveries I would never normally, I would've gone my whole life without hearing this but I'm so glad I didn't
Like the previous album before this, the album is really good at not sounding too long. It's a very jubilant record on the surface but discusses a lot of political and social issues in Nigeria and Africa as a whole (3.5).
FIRE
Incredible album. So much variety between the different tracks, but each track itself is a slowly unfolding epic that adds more and more layers as it goes along. Also, great bass tone. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
not as compelling as his dad but still pretty good
Afro beats
Afro-folk pop
Long, but nice rhythm and flow.
Wonderful African jazz record that captures the joy in life. A great record that brings a sense of energy and upbeat rhythms to brighten any mood. Femi has a beautiful voice that complements the instrumentation so well. This was a nice one.
6 - groovy Nigerian jazz.
Very rich.
Fine. Not for me.
make my head bob, even though I find not too much I like in this
So powerful, so colorful, so alive. Made me dance and sing and feel so much. Exudes joy and beauty. Was unsure at the start of the album but by the end I was a Femi Kuti truther. Plenty Nonsense was a fan favorite for me. Might be a hot take but gives me a Metallica meets big brass band meets afro beats in the most awesome way. Love, love, love.
Søn til Fela Kuti. Han var tidligere en del af Fela Kutis band Egypt 80 og startede så sit eget projekt. Han udvider på den genre hans far lavede ved udvide det med mere jazzet lyde end Fela selv. Jeg synes det var groovy og godt og kunne godt tænke mig at mixe nogle af sangene så det blev endnu mere danceable. Jeg kunne forestille mig der var en masse nice at sample her. Jeg kunne godt lide mange af teksterne osv og det er generelt bare rigtig good vibes at lytte til. Der er meget call and response i teksterne jeg rigtig godt kan lide. Ellers er det jo bare afrobeats og afrobeats er fede. Er glad for jeg har fået så meget fra world genren på det seneste, det er virkelig fedt og inspirerende. Jeg skal på date i dag og er lidt nervøs, men tror det kommer til at blive godt at lytte til når jeg cykler igennem byen i godt vejr og lige fået en enkelt bajer
Mostly good
Great!
Leuk zo'n cd'tje, maar 74 minuten is natuurlijk eigenlijk een ouderwets dubbelalbum. En in Afrika nemen ze graag de tijd voor dingen, zoveel is wel duidelijk. Het is hoe dan ook fijne, energieke muziek, maar het duurt wel lang, de nummers duren algauw 8 à 9 minuten. Mijn westerse oortjes willen graag dat het iets meer 'to the point' komt en iets minder herhaling. Verder is het aangenaam luisteren, en in feite zijn de bevindingen dus dezelfde als die bij zijn vader, die we al twee keer hoorden langskomen.
Ik dacht deze artiest al twee maal gehad te hebben, maar was blij verrast dat het deze keer wat gelikter klinkt. Internet leert me dat het iemand anders is. Het betreft vader (Fela Kuti) en zoon (Femi Kuti). Ik lees dat beide stevige boodschappen willen overbrengen. Die versta ik niet, dus ik moet het bij de muziek laten. En dat kan bij dit album prima! Vader bracht muzikale vrolijkheid, maar het was niet altijd even sterk uitgevoerd. Wellicht was de boodschap voor hem belangrijker? Zoon lijkt het om te draaien. De muziek wordt voorop gezet. Er staan flinke fijne instrumentale delen op het album. Vader was al wat westerser, zoon pakt dat op en versterkt dat. Zonder de Afrikaanse zang en trommels zou dit makkelijk onder jazz geschaard kunnen worden. Met name de toeters voelen jazzy aan. Ik lees dat Femi oorspronkelijk sax speelde. Dat verklaart wellicht ook zijn nadruk op de muziek en de langere instrumentale delen. Plenty Nonsense is het meest exemplarisch voor het album. Het begint met een Afrikaans ritme. Om snel naar een jazzy gevoel over te stappen. Tot de zang ons weer mee terug neemt naar Afrika. Het toont dat Femi zijn nummers met alle aandacht opbouwt. Na bijna 1000 albums ben ik toch verrast weer een echte toevoeging aan de lijst tegen te komen. Dit verdient de volle 5 sterren!
Bij de openingstonen dacht ik bijna Dog Eat Dog met No Fronts te horen. Zo ruw en hard is het zeker niet, want we krijgen net als papa Kuti vrolijke afromuziek te horen. Ik weet niet of het typerend is voor dit soort wereldmuziek dat de nummers aan de lange kant zijn, ondanks dat het niet van ritme verandert. Het stoort me niet per se, maar het valt wel op. Er zat bij mij een lunch halverwege dit album, dat zal best gescheeld hebben. En dat het zonnetje schijnt en we de eerste echte lentedagen te pakken hebben, helpt ongetwijfeld ook mee. Maar ik word hier wederom vrolijk van, net als bij zijn vader. Ik luister het met plezier uit, ondanks dat het meer dan een uur is. Vermakelijk, prima albumpje.
Pretty cool, but very long.
I prefer his dad, but this was so joyous, and it happens to be an unbelievably beautiful day here. Live For Today is so great. 4 1/2 really.
He had some big shoes to fill and while he doesn't quite measure up this was very good.
Good fun.
Put me in a wonderful mood! The kutis are a talented bunch.
Extremely surprised by this album. Had no idea who Femi Kuti was before this and I still don't. But I know that he rips.
Since Femi Kuti has already pleasantly surprised me twice with this project, I was really looking forward to this album. Unfortunately, I don’t like it as much as the others, but it is still good. I’ll keep Femi Kuti’s name in mind, even though this album didn’t quite live up to my expectations. 3/5
# Playlist Track - Live for Today # Notes - A superb example of excellent afrobeat. This entire thing (except for the cover) is filled to the brim with energy and personality. - I'd love to see this live. - I think it's really funny that on the chorus of "Live for Today" his heavy accent really make "you must enjoy your life today" sound like "you must end your life today"
This is politically charged music that will also get your ass shaking. The songs are all very long, but you won't notice as they are so funky and you will get lost within the rhythm. Fela sounds so impassioned here about his country's struggles. The album is rather one note, but it creates such a joyful and vibrant vibe that its tough to fault it. I was initially concerned that I was got this album before experiencing his more famous father or any afrobeat in general, but Femi more than stands out on his own. I immediately put on a Fela Kuti record after finishing with this one. Maybe nepotism isn't all bad, eh?
Oh hell yeah, this is some funky jazz that is awesome
Cool to get Fela Kuti's son on the list so after a few of his Dad's albums. I really enjoyed this, it was a more modern afrobeat than Fela but still had a lot of character. I do like the repetitive rhythms and energy, think it probably didn't have that more live feeling of Fela but that's probably just the improvement in recording techniques. This jazzy afrobeat is much more up my street than the more poppy stuff which I've admittedly had limited exposure too but seemed to rely on autotune a fair bit. Will listen again I think.
A big party album. Survival was the standout among quite a lot of really great afrobeats. I wish each track was shorter though, makes me hesitant to add them to my playlists. But, the party does never stop.
Femi knows how to party. This was really fun. Enjoyed it all mostly. Not much more to say, just a fun album 3,5
There is a LOT going on in this music. I had never heard of this before today, it's obviously very well crafted but can be very overwhelming at times (most times). Someone buy the mixers/engineers a drink because despite sheer amount of things happening at any given moment it sounds crisp and you can seperate the instruments. I'm glad I listened, I probably won't be revisiting this any time soon.
Pretty good acc afro beats
Nice album, and finally some variety again in this list. Which it should definitely have more of. Not 5 Tom Waits albums for example, but more of this, music from around the world represented. 4/5
Hell yeah
album #32 i'd never heard of femi kuti before, and that's on me. this was fun, politically charge, groovy music. musically i do think it's a 4 but personal taste puts it at a 3, i think! also....i was looking up the lyrics to "changes" and felt like i was going insane because why do none of the lyric sheets include the last 2 and a half minutes of the song?! lmfao ꩜ average track rating: 3.0/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): survival, plenty nonsense ꩜ least favourite track(s): nawa ꩜ album rating: ★★★☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,057 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 20 (I recounted lol as I wasn't tracking this at the beginning. +1 Femi Kuti) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 8 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 24
Never heard of album or band. Better be good because 1 and 15 mins is insane for an album I’ve never heard of. Really good sax on wondering wonder. Drums are a little choppy. Good vocals too. This is a fun song. Really good horns again on survival. Kind of hate the xylophone but it is impressive. Good songwriting. And really cool guitar riff, I like this song a lot. Frustrations is more of the same. Really cool sounds going on, it’s like an orchestra. Great songwriting on frusrations. I’m liking the 4 mins of music followed by 4 mins of singing. Super catchy chorus. More of the same with nawa. Great music again. Never felt like this one needed any lyrics. Plenty nonsense has Latino vibes. Great trumpet. A lot going on behind that tho. A little too much imo. Really good lyrics on this one. Really good bass line on stubborn problems. More great horns. No shame is cool again. The production on this album has been fantastic. Extremely relaxing listen as well. Again great production on live for today. Horns are awesome. In the end this album didn’t feel like an hour and 15 mins which is a great sign. Honestly blew away my expectations. This is why I started doing this, never in a million years do I listen to this album if not go the suggestion. It’s not a perfect album by any means, and there’s not a ton of variety but it’s a good listen. 3.6 stars.
I know Fela Kuti, but had never heard his son until today. It’s probably not fair to compare them, even if it’s probably as inevitable given that they’re both Afrobeat musicians. And that they’re also both excellent. This is a great listen, with so much energy and rhythm that it easily carries the rather long songs. It brightens up an otherwise dreary day. I wish we had far more of this on here instead of the endless 70s guitar rock albums. Terrible cover artwork though.
Such a fun album! Great African contemporary jazz - upbeat and engaging all the way through, with great variety.
Starts slowly, more western beats and smooth jazz. Picks up in the second half. Plenty Nonsense has a ska feel, title is fitting. It’s repetitive and a little too long. Would rather listen to Fela.
Not a bad album it flowed pretty well. They had good musicality.
Maybe not as amazing as his father, but Femi Kuti proves he's more than worth a listen with this album. After all, it's Afrobeat, hard to go wrong.
65# Mehhh don't do anything in particular for me but I have to acknowledge the quality of it
This was nice to listen to. It's one of those albums that just puts you in a good mood.
Decent as background music, but I got bored pretty quickly if I tried to listen actively. It's not really my favorite genre, but this one is one of the better ones Standouts Nawa 3/5
DNF
Not for me. All tracks are too similar.
Maybe it's just benefitting from comparison to my previous album from Def Leppard. But this album kicks ass.
сложно воспринимать афробит (проще всего те куски которые похожи на джаз)
4, pretty good
Got high to finish Nabokov’s Lolita and put this album on. After I finished the book I realized this album was pretty kick ass. It’s albums like this that make me so happy I’m taking the 1001 albums journey. 5/5. Getting this on vinyl
Femi Kuti - Femi Kuti Sort of like a bag of fun sized Fela Kuti bars for folks who can't eat a full king-size at once. Let's get this out of the way first: I do not prefer the very early 90s pop flash production here. But i do like that this blends more jazz elements into the Kuti style. I guess that is the nature of the younger generation, eh? There is something to be said for being able to open the gateway for folks who might be uncertain otherwise. I like this a lot, though. 4*, will relisten.
I can understand the influence this album had in bringing Afrobeat to a wider audience, after his father's work opened the doors. It reminds me of the groove experiments you hear in Talking Heads work on “Fear of Music”. Not because of this album specifically, but because it’s all coming from the same place Fela laid out years earlier. But I didn't fully connect with it. Not especially gripping, but enjoyable, respectable and interesting work all the same.
This is the son of Fela Kuti, who I just love. Got to give him 5 stars as well.
A perfect album. So much energy and power captured on a single record. Truly a must listen for any music enthusiast. I loved the vocals and lyrics so much too. So evocative. My Head didn't stop bobbing from start to finish. Did become a bit of a drag halfway through but I think that was just me generally being tired lmao. Other than that, absolutely amazing. 5/5
I'm not yet familiar with his father's work, but this was an easy listen. Jazzy, groovy and with long songs that never overstayed their welcome.
Masterpiece, amazing melodies and great rhythm!
This was fine. Not as good as the other album by the same artist that we listened to earlier in the project
Better than Fela. Still not my preference though.