Seun Kuti: A Long Way to the Beginning
Richard Gehr on June 12, 2014
Nigerian cultural martyr Fela Kuti excoriated the corrupt global manufacturing company ITT in the grooves of his 1980 Afro-beat classic “International Thief Thief.” His youngest son, Seun Kuti, extends the family tradition on A Long Way to the Beginning by calling out the International Monetary Fund’s predatory lending practices in “IMF” with the no-bull refrain, “international motherfucker.” Jazz pianist Robert Glasper co-produced Kuti’s third album as hypnotic fast-forward funk minimalism, mostly, with occasional forays into smoking Afro-jazz in “Kalakuta Boy” and the cool-vibes, anti-skin bleaching anthem “Black Woman.”
Artist: Seun Kuti
Album: A Long Way to the Beginning
Label: Knitting Factory
