Fela Kuti Zombie CD

ZOMBIE was released while Fela, a political enemy of the Nigerian government, was in prison in Lagos, Nigeria, serving a five-year sentence for currency smuggling. "I will never, never stop fighting," Fela is quoted as saying in the liner notes. "This jail only makes me stronger and I hope it's giving my people more courage to do their part in the struggle."
Originally released on Celluloid.
Personnel includes: Fela Kuti (vocals, alto & tenor saxophones, piano); Ogene Kologbo, Leke Benson (guitar); Christopher Uwaifor (tenor saxophone); Lekan Animashaun (baritone saxophone); Tunde Williams (trumpet); Franco Aboddy (electric bass); Tony Allen (drums); Henri Kafi, Nicholas Addo (congas); Isaac Olaley (maracas).
Producer: Fela Kuti
Reissue producer: Jean-Pierre Haie
Includes liner notes by Jacqueline Grandchamp-Thiam, Rikki Stein and Mabinuori Kayode Idowu.
Digitally remastered by Pompon (Translab Paris, Paris, France).
Zombie was the most popular and impacting record that Fela Anikulopo Kuti and Africa 70 would record -- it ignited the nation to follow Fela's lead and antagonize the military zombies that had the population by the throat. Fela is direct and humorous in his attack as he barks out commands to the soldiers like: "Attention! Double up! Fall In! Fall out! Fall down! Get ready!" Meanwhile, his choir responds with "Zombie!" in between each statement. Since the groove was so absolutely contagious, it took the nation by storm: People in the street would put on a blank stare and walk with hands affront proclaiming "Zombie!" whenever they would see soldiers. If "Zombie" caught the attention of the populous it also cought the attention of the authority figures -- this would cause devastating personal and professional effects as the Nigerian government came down on him with absolute brute force not long after the release of this record. Also included are "Monkey Banana," a laid-back groove that showcases drummer Tony Allen's mastery of the Afro-beat, and "Everything Scatter," a standard mid-tempo romp. Both songs are forgetful in relation to "Zombie," but this is still an essential disc to own for the title track alone. [Zombie was passed up on the run of domestic two-fers put out by MCA, but the track is available on The Best of Fela Kuti.] ~ Jack LV Isles
With the inclusion of Nigerian master musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti's incendiary 1977 single, "Zombie," "Mr. Follow Follow," a typical anti-authoritarian exhortation, and a couple of hitherto-unreleased live cuts from the 1978 Berlin Jazz festival, ZOMBIE finds the iconoclastic singer and bandleader at his electrifying best. The title track, an anti-militaristic lampoon of the Nigerian armed forces, earned Fela the ire of that army--revenge came when soldiers wrecked Fela's compound, throwing his mother from a window and killing her. A breakneck rhythm, skittering horn lines, and Fela's own taunting vocals add up to one of the musician's most confrontational tracks. Conflict is likewise in the air on "Mistake," performed in front of a less-than-ecstatic crowd of Berlin jazz aficionados, conveying the palpable anger of a musician who craved controversy and relished provocation.Q (2/02, p.122) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Settles into Fela's jazzy Afrobeat groove for a classic anti-military broadside..."
Vibe (12/99, p.164) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century - "...hypnotically grooved '70s records by the Nigerian Afro-beat superstar whom James Brown called 'The African James Brown'..."