New Song of the Day #42: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 feat. Kamasi Washington "Move"

Fela Kuti's youngest son teams up with the LA spiritual jazz figurehead. Plus: some memories of seeing Fela in NYC.

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As I mentioned in passing in a post last year, I saw Fela Kuti perform twice in my life — once in 1986 at the Felt Forum (later later known as the Theater at Madison Square Garden), and again some years later at the Ritz, a New York City club launched in what’s now Webster Hall (its original name) on East 11th Street, and relocated in early 1989 to the former Studio 54 space in Midtown, at 254 West 54th Street. That’s where I saw Fela.

I can’t recall the date of the latter show. But I remember vividly the power of his music both nights, and Fela’s in-character refusal to bend to circumstances he thought unreasonable.

At the Felt Forum, Fela’s first NYC show in many years, and first US show since his release from a Nigerian prison, where he’d been jailed ostensibly on currency-smuggling charges, but most likely for criticizing the governament, he and his band kept on playing past the strict 11PM union curfew, and continued for a while even after the electricity was cut — the horns, including his sax, filled the space pretty well sans amplification. (Afterwards, amidst many famous fans in the audience, I bumped into Ornette Coleman — literally — who was wearing a very fly gold lamé suit.)

At the Ritz, Fela stopped the show maybe one hour in, complaining he hadn’t been paid, then left the stage for near an hour. He finally got his cash, apparently, and returned to the stage around 1AM to reboot the show, though much of the crowd had left.

Too bad for them; that second round of music was absolute fire.

Fela died in 1997, age 58, by most reports of complications from AIDS. He left a gargantuan musical legacy, including a big catalog of magnificent recordings, and a number of children who have been furthering afrobeat, the musical style he forged with drummer Tony Allen (not to be confused with the modern r&b style known as afrobeats — the “s” is important — which is quite different, albeit distantly related, sharing roots in West Africa).

Fela’s eldest, Femi, and his youngest son, Seun, are both touring the U.S. this season. Both are powerful performers. I’ve seen Seun most recently, who is still leading a version of Fela’s final band, Egypt 80, which Seun took over (per Fela’s directive, it’s said) at age 14, shortly after his dad died.

You can hear the afrobeat fire burning brightly on this new version of Seun’s “Move,” a track from last year’s album Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head). Kamasi Washington, the versatile arranger/composer and breakout figurehead of the current Los Angeles jazz scene, jumps on the track and burrows in with some potent tenor sax of his own.

Fela was a political artist, and Seun is, too, although his philosophy seems less dukes-up than his dad’s — no less passionate, but perhaps less certain of the routes to change. I feel that in this song.

E no easy for the world today
You know that
It’s so dark, we need light
And every day na different story o
Say everywhere na different worry o […]

Sometimes I know, sometimes I don’t, sometimes I’m trying
Sometimes it’s no, sometimes it’s yes, but I’m moving

“Move” is the second remix release from Heavier Yet; the first, another banger, was “Stand Well Well,” with Pos from De La Soul, which arrived last month.

Both these remixes will turn up on a deluxe edition of Heavier Yet due next month.

Below, the forthcoming U.S. dates for Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. The tour starts tomorrow in New Orleans.

Seun Kuti. Photo by Kola Oshalusi

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Live Dates:
April 24 New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 25 Atlanta, GA @ City Winery
April 26 Charleston, SC @ Pour House
April 27 Mills River, NC @ Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
April 29 Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
April 30 Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
May 2 Orlando FL @ The Beacham
May 3 Hollywood, FL @ ArtsPark
May 4 Memphis, TN @ Riverbeat Music Festival
May 6 Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley
May 7 Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley
May 8 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
May 9 Fort Collins, CO @ The Armory
May 10 Basalt, CO @ TACAW
May 11 Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
May 13 Durango, CO @ Animas City Theatre
May 15 Rochester NY, Rochester Lilac Festival
May 17 Bentonville, AR, FreshGrass Festival