Fela Kuti
Red Hot & Fela
Fela Kuti lives on. Since his death in 1997, the Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator has been transformed from musician's musician with a cult-like following to a worldwide musical icon. Now Red Hot, the AIDS awareness organisation, has partnered with Knitting Factory Records to release a colourful collection of Fela Kuti compositions performed by cross-genre collaborators representing rock, hip hop, Americana, and classical. The release includes classic Fela anthems like 'Lady', recorded by tUnE-yArDs, ?uestlove (The Roots), Angelique Kidjo and Akua Naru, 'Zombie' recorded by Spoek Mathambo, Cerebral Cortex and Frown, and 'Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am' recorded by My Morning Jacket, Merrill Garbus (from tUnE-yArDs), and Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes) and 'Sorrow, Tears and Blood' reworked by the Kronos Quartet along with TV On The Radio's Kyp Malone and Tunde Adembimpe.