Buy anything from the World Music store and you can get the official CD from the Songlines Music Awards 2013 for just £1.99. Offer ends at 23:59 on Sunday, June 30. Learn more.
Buy anything from the World Music store and you can get the official CD from the Songlines Music Awards 2013 for just £1.99. Offer ends at 23:59 on Sunday, June 30. Learn more. |
Product details
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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lady | |||
| 2. Shakara | |||
| 3. Gentlemen (Edit Version) | |||
| 4. Water No Get Enemy (Edit Version) | |||
| 5. Zombie | |||
| 6. Sorrow Tears And Blood | |||
See all 7 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Roforofo Fight | |||
| 2. Shuffering And Shmiling (Part 2) | |||
| 3. Coffin For Head Of State (Part 2) | |||
| 4. ITT (Part 2) | |||
| 5. Army Agreement (Part 2) | |||
| 6. O.D.O.O. (Edit Version) | |||
| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. DVD Documentary | |||
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By "jrr115"
Format:Audio CD
After hearing a snippet of the rumbling bass and stop start sax of Zombie and seeing Fela's son Femi Kuti play live, I knew I HAD to get something by Africa's most talented musician, the creator of Afrobeat, the black president.
Leaving politics aside (you can read up on this on many websites) the music (which is best described as layers upon layers of funk and jazz rhythms) is sensational although it has to be said it is not easy listening if you don't like either jazz, funk or indeed world music. The one thing I found though was that as most of the lyrics are in English (albeit of the pigeon variety) I could actually understand much more than your typical world music.
Many of the tracks have been edited but they have been done so in the best possible way so that their effect isn't diminished. This leaves space for more tracks and as there are so many classics editing was always going to occur. This set is great value as each track is on average 10 mins long (you do the maths)
and you get the documentary.
This set comes with a great documentary which perfectly presents Fela the entertainer, the campaigner and the smoker! It makes this set pretty essential for ANY world music fan and even those who like any kind of rhythm in their music, that is hip hop, jazz, funk whatever. Fela's polyrhythmics and the message he brought not only ousts James Brown as the funkiest music ever but also predates hip hop's vital tool as providing a message
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By P. J. Aspel
Format:Audio CD
Fela Kuti, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting and thrilling musicians I've ever known, combining infectious African rythms with jazz and subliminal messages about the state of his people. Seriously, he is the Bob Marley of African music and if it wasn't for him, music wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting! The track that stands out for me is Roforofo Fight on disc 2, a hymn, in a way, to the uprising of the slaves to the communists and an amazing song in it's own right. The documentary on disc two is a compelling insight into his musicality, life and struggle to become president of Nigeria, which shows that his power is as strong as Bob Marleys in that he stood up and united the Rastafarian movement in the same way. I mean it, if you're a music lover, or perhaps you want a bit of history mixed in, then this is an absolute must.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Art + Politics = Power
19 May 2006
By Justin Leg
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
There is nothing bad I can say about Fela, there really isn't. The man was a cultural and political phenomenon inspiring countless amounts of fellow Africans to take a stand. Think in the terms of Bob Marley, but do I dare to say Fela was more important? Uh, yes. (Meanwhile, I just made the entire faux post-hippie movement choke on their bong smoke).
"Music Is The Weapon" prooves to be the perfect title for Fela's 'best of' songs. He fought soley with art and became so powerful at it that he opened and performed religiously at his own night club, using it as a politcal pulpit. After gaining international acclaim, Fela was eventually gunned down after a concert so he could be kept quiet, only to survive and continue his fight. Parallels could be noted about Marley, however, Nigeria had more urgent problems than Jamaica.
Fela was a versatile musican, not only did he sing and write his own compositions, he played keyboards and saxaphone while directing his band and singers. Many people compare him as Africa's James Brown because the music uncontestedly FUNKY. It is a fair agreement. JB is the Godfather of Soul and Fela is the Godfather of Afrobeat, although Fela is much active in his human rights awareness. And smarter, seeing that James Brown endorsed Richard Nixon.
In whole, this collection is a great starting point for getting into this truely one-of-a-kind artist. It acts as a 'greatest hits' despite the two problems I have with this release:
1- It does not highlight the broad range of music and time eras Fela recorded in, but remember, the music selections are by no means poor examples of greatness and originality.
2- Many of the track selections are only parts or edits of the full-length versions, but keep in mind that some of these 'edited' versions are still 8-14 minutes long. If they were not cut, we would be looking at half an hour jams right up there with electric Miles Davis funkiness.
"Music Is The Weapon" also contains a third disc that documents Fela's musical life and political beliefs on DVD while displaying live performances and interviews with the man himself. Fela's mission was to make you aware while making you dance, both in a gracefully artistic manner.
I suggest researching the life of Fela. In turn, the music will make more sense to us living in western society.
"Music Is The Weapon" prooves to be the perfect title for Fela's 'best of' songs. He fought soley with art and became so powerful at it that he opened and performed religiously at his own night club, using it as a politcal pulpit. After gaining international acclaim, Fela was eventually gunned down after a concert so he could be kept quiet, only to survive and continue his fight. Parallels could be noted about Marley, however, Nigeria had more urgent problems than Jamaica.
Fela was a versatile musican, not only did he sing and write his own compositions, he played keyboards and saxaphone while directing his band and singers. Many people compare him as Africa's James Brown because the music uncontestedly FUNKY. It is a fair agreement. JB is the Godfather of Soul and Fela is the Godfather of Afrobeat, although Fela is much active in his human rights awareness. And smarter, seeing that James Brown endorsed Richard Nixon.
In whole, this collection is a great starting point for getting into this truely one-of-a-kind artist. It acts as a 'greatest hits' despite the two problems I have with this release:
1- It does not highlight the broad range of music and time eras Fela recorded in, but remember, the music selections are by no means poor examples of greatness and originality.
2- Many of the track selections are only parts or edits of the full-length versions, but keep in mind that some of these 'edited' versions are still 8-14 minutes long. If they were not cut, we would be looking at half an hour jams right up there with electric Miles Davis funkiness.
"Music Is The Weapon" also contains a third disc that documents Fela's musical life and political beliefs on DVD while displaying live performances and interviews with the man himself. Fela's mission was to make you aware while making you dance, both in a gracefully artistic manner.
I suggest researching the life of Fela. In turn, the music will make more sense to us living in western society.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must have for any true music lover.
16 Sep 2008
By Jared
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fela is a genius of his time and most likely any time. This set, that includes a dvd will not only document why, but also give you listening, that will explain why he is one of the greatest musical artists of the 20th century.
One of my best friends turned me on to Fela back when I was too stupid to realize the music. By chance, I heard a Fela song again while working at UofM's radio station and since then I collected all of his works.
This is a quality and complete collection of his best and what makes it the BEST is the dvd.
GET THIS NOW... RIGHT NOW!
One of my best friends turned me on to Fela back when I was too stupid to realize the music. By chance, I heard a Fela song again while working at UofM's radio station and since then I collected all of his works.
This is a quality and complete collection of his best and what makes it the BEST is the dvd.
GET THIS NOW... RIGHT NOW!
›
Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
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