FEMI KUTI – AFRICA FOR AFRICA

With younger brother Seun making his impressive debut out the front of dad’s old band Egypt 80 (of which Femi was a member before his father’s death), Femi Kuti has stepped up to the plate with his new album Africa for Africa. While Seun displayed a youthful aggression, Femi takes a cooler, yet no less aggressive approach to his songs. Musically Femi works from his roots, taking his father’s jazz infused Afro-beat and occasionally adding a reggae-tinged Caribbean element. But lyrically the oldest son, like his father, is not mellowing with age. With a verve that fringes on bitterness, Femi looks at his proud homeland, the world’s oldest continent, and asks how they can produce great artists, sportspeople, doctors, yet be let down by their political leaders – Bad Government. While some of these tracks like Dem Bobo have appeared before, Africa for Africa benefits from a back to basics, less produced, more live recording approach, that lets the band cook the sort of brew that makes their live shows irresistible. Femi Kuti and the Positive Force will be playing this Saturday at The Metro.

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