FEMI KUTI – ONE PEOPLE ONE WORLD (KNITTING FACTORY 2018)
Femi Kuti is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Femi Kuti’s music is the heart and soul of modern Afrobeat. Femi’s father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, created the style – a blend of traditional Nigerian drum patterns, the smooth groove of highlife and American soul, funk and R&B. Femi and his band, Positive Force, are at the forefront of that movement, continually expanding the music’s vocabulary, adding hints of punk and hip-hop to the sound, while maintaining its traditional roots and political message.
One People One World sees Femi returning to the music’s African roots. Hints of reggae, highlife, soul, R&B and other African, Caribbean and African American flavors go swirling through the mix, adding depth and complexity to the arrangements, but the influences don’t distract from Femi’s signature sound.
One People One World is pure Afrobeat, with the potent horn lines Femi created for the band punching up the tempo, driving everything forward at a frenetic pace. The new album is still political but, for the first time, there are love songs and celebrations of our common humanity. “Yes, the music is more uplifting, more optimistic,” Femi says. “I’m a father and I love my kids, so I want to give the younger generation a message of hope. Despite all our problems, we can create greatness in our lives.
One People One World is pure Afrobeat, with the potent horn lines Femi created for the band punching up the tempo, driving everything forward at a frenetic pace. The new album is still political but, for the first time, there are love songs and celebrations of our common humanity. “Yes, the music is more uplifting, more optimistic,” Femi says. “I’m a father and I love my kids, so I want to give the younger generation a message of hope. Despite all our problems, we can create greatness in our lives.
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