Thursday, March 18 2010
Various: Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti
Steel pan and cumbia versions of Fela Kuti classics, alongside more orthodox Afrobeat workouts, provide delights for crate diggers and further evidence of Fela's enduring influence.
Wednesday, January 6 2010
Fela Kuti: Fela: The Best of the Black President
A thorough document of the greatest moments of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.
Monday, October 12 2009
The Messengers
K'naan's The Messengers series is a trilogy of episodes designed to highlight the genius of Nigeria's Fela Kuti, Jamaica's Bob Marley, and the United States' Bob Dylan.
Thursday, August 6 2009
Tony Allen: Secret Agent
If drums were pens he'd be writing political mystery thrillers.
Wednesday, April 1 2009
Old Skewl B.S. aka Morality Police Bite
Artists continually suffer for refusing to bow to the morality police. Yet, like this Kentuckian, we are all Unbridled Spirits, refusing to conceit to itty bitty morality pity. It’s a shame that one has to chant louder, write faster, read quicker, exercise harder, know more and listen with more compassion, isn’t it? Naw, that’s just old skewl.
Thursday, March 19 2009
Hot Buttered Soul: Politics and Pop Culture Are Really One
When change is upon us and we need media most, more and more traditional media outlets will simply pick up and disseminate what fewer and fewer folks have placed on the corporate-filtered news wire. Luckily, my new White House friend is as funky as you wanna be.
Monday, September 22 2008
Fela! Here Comes the Black President
Great art such as Fela! inspires us to make the choices we need to make, and not give up our responsibilities because it is easier to allow someone else to make decisions for us.
Tuesday, July 22 2008
All You Need Is Love
Tony Palmer's compelling yet frustrating 15-hour television series on the history of popular music, originally broadcast in the 1970s, finally sees a DVD release.
