Cheap Fight to Win (Music) (Femi Kuti) Price

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Customer Reviews of Fight to Win

i omost never completely tell folks that they should buy one cd or another, but all conscious minded people should own this!

this will be enjoyed in private moments or at social gatherings equally (depending on the quality of people you roll with!)....

Fela would be so proud.
Being a big Fela Kuti fan, I must admit I was VERY skeptical about Femi Kuti's arrival on the music scene. Like some others, I did not give Femi the benefit of the doubt and wrote him off as a wanna-be.

This without ever having heard him, I am ashamed to admit.

Well, now I have heard him, and let me tell you, Femi does the Kuti name honor with this release. The first song alone was enough to convince me that this man is a very worthy heir to Fela's legacy.

The musicianship is superb: tight, funky, passionate, melodious, and deliciously sharp. Absolutely first-rate afro-funk.

And Femi? He holds court with flair, intelligence, and soul. He has the fire within him, the fire of true passionate artistry.

And, dare I say it, I think he might even be a better singer than his father.

Like I said, I am ashamed that I didn't give him a fair shake. And I passed up several chances to see him perform in NYC. I am a fool. I admit it.

Femi is no fool. He's a giant. Really. If you buy this album and don't like it, you need professional help.

Prepare for the African Invasion
As sons of incredible fathers go, Femi Kuti is doing very well with this album. Femi's father Fela was a god in African music and is credited with creating entire genres of music, especially the Afrobeat that the young Femi is developing here. Femi's strategy appears to be the courting of the Western market and connecting with the American black music scene, and he might just pull it off with this strong album. At one point here, a sampled voice says "so you're taking your roots, and translating it into something contemporary." That's exactly right. The songs here are mostly very long and drawn-out workouts, and in the African tradition a strong groove builds up and slowly beats you into submission. On the contemporary side however, there are strong R&B, funk, and reggae undercurrents throughout the album. The short instrumental interlude "Tension Grip Nigeria" even contains some heavy reggae dub effects. To cement the connection to the American market, rappers Mos Def and Common make guest appearances, while the title track features great vocals by the Badu-like singer Jaguar Wright. The strongest tracks here are "Eko Lagos" and "Alkebu-Lan (Cradle of Civilization)" which are masterpieces of groove architecture with that underlying booty-shaking twitch. So this African music isn't completely 100% pure, but it doesn't need to be. Femi Kuti may make a significant impact on Western listeners who are not afraid to broaden their horizons.