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Most obviously he’s still using Fela’s band Egypt 80 as his own. The sleeve design by Lemi Ghariokwu (whose chaotically busy, subversive art graced around half of Fela’s albums) is another conscious echo – even if the inadequate detail afforded by the tiny CD format underlines its limitations when compared with the old 12" vinyl covers. Seun has even taken on his dad’s ‘Anikulapo’ moniker, which means "he who carries death in his pouch". He’s also adopted more of Fela’s vocal mannerisms, and as the title of this confident new album suggests, his lyrics are just as concerned with "kicking against the pricks".
And in Nigeria, as in the rest of Africa (see Ivory Coast, Libya, Zimbabwe) it’s very much a case of new pricks, but old tricks, as the striking opener African Soldier spells out in a fiery tirade against former soldiers who become dictators for 20, 30, or even 50 years. Penned by Rilwan Fagbemi, it’s a lean and muscular update of the Afrobeat template, setting the pace of this largely up-tempo record, which only really slows down on its epic centrepiece/title-track Rise. This finds Seun railing against multinational oil and diamond companies as well as Mosanto (sic) and Halliburton. The other standout track is Mr Big Thief, mainly for the snappy interplay between Seun’s alto sax and the brass section, as well as his sharp vocal sparring with the female chorus singers.
Brian Eno has long been an enthusiastic champion of Afrobeat, so he’s an appropriate choice as co-producer (with John Reynolds and Seun himself) although it’s not easy to hear any radical departures instigated by Brand Eno that really distinguish it from the fine work of Martin Meissonnier on Seun’s 2008 debut, Many Things. However, Seun is singing with more confidence – or perhaps, authority – and Egypt 80 are firing on all cylinders.
The album is not without filler, with Slave Masters and For Dem Eye making rather less of an impression. Some may find the relative lack of slower tempos a disappointment, but dancers may well disagree. Overall, then, From Africa With Fury: Rise is a pretty solid second effort.
--Jon Lusk
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Customer Reviews
It has been a long wait for Seun Kuti's second album. Seun is backed by his late father's orchestra, Egypt 80. The songs were perfected in the spotlights of the hot live show arena, they were recorded in sunny Buenos Aires and the mixing and remixing done in London with the help of no other than Brian Eno himself. If that's no recipe for a beast of an album I don't know what is! It is said that an artist's second album is the make or break album. If this is true, this is without doubt a MAKE album. It places Seun Kuti firmly on the map of World Music.
All seven songs on the album last between seven and eight minutes. Five of the seven songs are fast paced attacks on Africa's injustice with a plethora of polyrhythm's that will leave you either dazed or dancing. The Good Leaf is the only non-political song and an ode to Seun's favorite drug Marihuana (yes, he does take after his father). There's a slight high tech touch on two songs that's certainly welcome, but doesn't figure much in the overall picture. Rise is the only slow tempo song on the album and it's the pearl in the lotus flower. Nowhere is the fury about Africa's misery more intense than in this song. Despite it's slow tempo it's one of those songs that really make you want to get up and punch someone (a corrupt African leader, if present) in the face. The song contains a few lyrical nods to his father's work like "black man for face, white man for yansh" that show us that Seun knows his stuff. This album is both classic Afrobeat as well as an Afrobeat classic. This is African music at it's best. When I listen to this album I picture Fela Kuti in his grave with his famous big smile on his face, listening to Rise: From Africa with Fury.
Kudos to Brian Eno for his elegant production and immense deference to Seun (Omo Baba) and the veteran Egypt 80 band. All tracks are superb (with Rise being the pinnacle) and the lyrical content is as thought-provoking, energetic and conscious as his father's (omo ti ekun bi, ekun yi o jo: the leopard cub always emulates the father-leopard). You can even feel Seun's energy bursting through the music.
If you like "Abami Eda" Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, you will not be disappointed with this sophomore effort. An all-round super album.
It has been a long wait for Seun Kuti's second album. Seun is backed by his late father's orchestra, Egypt 80. The songs were perfected in the spotlights of the hot live show arena, they were recorded in sunny Buenos Aires and the mixing and remixing done in London with the help of no other than Brian Eno himself. If that's no recipe for a beast of an album I don't know what is! It is said that an artist's second album is the make or break album. If this is true, this is without doubt a MAKE album. It places Seun Kuti firmly on the map of World Music.
All seven songs on the album last between seven and eight minutes. Five of the seven songs are fast paced attacks on Africa's injustice with a plethora of polyrhythm's that will leave you either dazed or dancing. The Good Leaf is the only non-political song and an ode to Seun's favorite drug Marihuana (yes, he does take after his father). There's a slight high tech touch on two songs that's certainly welcome, but doesn't figure much in the overall picture. Rise is the only slow tempo song on the album and it's the pearl in the lotus flower. Nowhere is the fury about Africa's misery more intense than in this song. Despite it's slow tempo it's one of those songs that really make you want to get up and punch someone (a corrupt African leader, if present) in the face. The song contains a few lyrical nods to his father's work like "black man for face, white man for yansh" that show us that Seun knows his stuff. This album is both classic Afrobeat as well as an Afrobeat classic. This is African music at it's best. When I listen to this album I picture Fela Kuti in his grave with his famous big smile on his face, listening to Rise: From Africa with Fury.
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