The Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival

Interpreter: Various Artists
Label: World Music Network
Location: various

What could follow the Afrobeat explosion but the Afrobeat explosion revival, and here is it. An overview of present-day activities in the Afrobeat arena, it leads off with a contribution from the ‘ne plus ultra’ of Afrobeat, the legendary drummer Tony Allen who invented at least the ‘beat’ part of it, and then continues in fairly riotous fashion with the followers of Fela fashion. Founder Fela Kuti’s son Seun is here along with his Fela’s Egypt 80, the Chicago Afrobeat Project, the Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, Ikwunga the Afrobeat Poet… you get the picture. Steaming organs, rousing brass, hair-raising percussion, hypnotic choruses, it’s all here, folks. Plan on playing it when you have all of the following day to lie down and recover.

MG/28.03.2009