Fela Kuti discography

Last updated March 28, 2023

This is a discography for Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or simply Fela, a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.^[1]

Year	Title	Notes	Label
1970	Fela Fela Fela	Fela Ransome-Kuti And His Africa '70; made by EMI Nigeria Ltd	His Master's Voice
1971	Fela's London Scene	"FEHIN FEHINChop Teeth-Chop Teeth" / "Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) / "Who're You" / "Buy Africa" / "Fight To Finish"	Wrasse/MCA Universal
1971	Why Black Man Dey Suffer	b/w "Ikoyi Mentality Versus Mushin Mentality"	Wrasse/MCA Universal/Knitting Factory Records
1971	Live!	with Ginger Baker; "Let's Start" / "Black Man's Cry" / "Ye Ye De Smell" / "Egde Mi O (Carry Me I Want To Die)"; the 2001 CD release adds "Ginger Baker & Tony Allen Drum Solo (Live at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival" as a bonus track	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1972	Stratavarious	with Ginger Baker; Fela and various band members are on the tracks "Ariwo" / "Iiwa (It's Our Own)" / "Something Nice" / "Ju Ju" only	Polydor Records
1972	Na Poi (Part 1&2)	b/w "You No Go Die...Unless"; paired with Yellow Fever on the 1997 CD release	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal]
1972	Open & Close	b/w "Swegbe And Pako" / "Gbagada Gbagada"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1972	Shakara	"Lady" / "Shakara (Oloje)"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1972	Roforofo Fight: Music of Fela	"Roforofo Fight" / "Go Slow"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1972	Question Jam Answer: Music of Fela Vol. 2	"Question Jam Answer" / "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wahe Am" / "Shenshema" / "Ariya"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universa]
1973	Afrodisiac	"Alu Jon Jonki" / "Jeun Ko Ku (Chop & Quench)" / "Eko ille" / "Je'Nmi Temi (Don't Gag Me)"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1973	Gentleman	"Gentleman" / "FEFE NAA EFE" / "IGBE"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1974	Alagbon Close	b/w "I No Get Eye For Back"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1975	Noise for Vendor Mouth	b/w "Mattress"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1975	Confusion	Confusion Part 1&2	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1975	"Everything Scatter"	b/w "Who No Know Go Know"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1975	He Miss Road	b/w "Monday Morning in Lagos" / "It's No Possible"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1975	Expensive Shit	b/w "Water No Get Enemy"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Unnecessary Begging	b/w "No Buredi (No Bread)"	EMI Nigeria/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Kalakuta Show	b/w "Don't Make Garan Garan"; paired with Ikoyi Blindness on the 2001 CD	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Upside Down	b/w "Go Slow"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Ikoyi Blindness	b/w "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolowo (Slap Me Make I Get Money)"; paired with Kalakuta Show on the 2001 CD	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Before I Jump Like Monkey Give Me Banana	b/w "Sense Wiseness"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Excuse O	b/w "Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Zombie	b/w "Mister Follow Follow"; the 2001 MCA Universal CD release adds two previously unreleased cuts, "Observation Is No Crime" & "Mistake" (Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival-1978)	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1976	Yellow Fever/Na Poi	1997 CD includes: "Yellow Fever" / "Na Poi (1975 version)" / "Na Poi (Parts 1&2)" / "You No Go Die...Unless"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	Opposite People	b/w "Equalisation of Trouser And Pant"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	Fear Not For Man	b/w "Palm Wine Sound [Instrumental]"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	Stalemate	b/w "Don't Worry About My Mouth O (African Message)"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	Observation No Crime	also included on the Wrasse/MCA Universal CD issue of Zombie as Observation Is No Crime	EMI Nigeria
1977	J.J.D. (Johnny Just Drop) Live!! at Kalakuta Republic		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	I Go Shout Plenty	b/w "Frustration of My Lady"; "I Go Shout Plenty" unreleased until 1986; "Frustration of My Lady" unreleased until 1983 under the shortened title "Lady"
1977	No Agreement	b/w "Dog Eat Dog [Instrumental]"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1977	Sorrow Tears and Blood	b/w "Colonial Mentality"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1978	Shuffering and Shmiling		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1979	Unknown Soldier (Part 1 & 2)		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1979	V.I.P. (Vagabonds in Power) Part 1&2 – Live in Berlin		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1980	Coffin for Head of State		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1980	I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) Part 1&2	paired with Original Suffer-Head on the 1997 CD	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1980	Music of Many Colours	with Roy Ayers; "2000 Blacks Got To Be Free" b/w "Africa Centre of the World"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1980	Authority Stealing (Parts 1&2)		Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1981	Black President	"Sorrow, Tears And Blood" / "Colonial Mentality" / "I.T.T. (International Thief Thief)"	Arista Records
1981	Original Suffer-Head	b/w "Power Show"; paired with "I.T.T." on the 1997 CD	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1983	Perambulator	b/w "Frustration"; recorded 1977	Lagos International
1983	Lady	b/w "Lady part 2"; recorded 1977 under the title "Frustration of My Lady"	EMI
1983	Live in Amsterdam	"M.O.P. (Movement of the People) Political Statement Number 1" / "You Gimme Shit I Give You Shit" / "Custom Check Point"	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1983	Fela Anikulapo=Kuti & the Africa 70	Double LP: "Alu Jon Jonki Jon" / "Chop and Quench" / "Eko Ile" / "Je'Nwi Temi (Don't Gag Me)" / "Let's Start" / "Black Man's Cry" / "Ye Ye De Smell" / "(Egbe mi O) Carry Me I Want to Die"; recorded 1971/72	EDP Records/EMI
1985	Army Arrangement	the 2001 MCA Universal CD adds "Government Chicken Boy" previously unreleased original version	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1985	Army Arrangement	"Cross Examination" / "Government Chicken Boy" / "Army Arrangement"; Fela later disowned this version Produced by Bill Laswell who added session musicians to the original tracks	YABA / Celluloid Records
1986	Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense	b/w "Look And Laugh"; the 2001 MCA Universal CD adds: "Just Like That", a track that was left off of Beast of No Nation's CD release due to time constraints	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1986	I Go Shout Plenty	b/w "Why Black Man Dey Suffer"; A-side recorded 1977	Decca Afrodisia Records
1989	Beasts of No Nation	b/w "Just like That"; b/w "O.D.O.O." on the 2001 CD release	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1989	O.D.O.O. (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake)	b/w "Confusion Break Bones (C.B.B.)"; "O.D.O.O." was included on the 2001 Beasts of No Nation CD release	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1992	U.S. (Underground System)	b/w "Pansa Pansa"; the 2001 CD release adds "Confusion Break Bones (C.B.B.)", which was previously the B-Side of the O.D.O.O. album	Barclay Records/Wrasse/MCA Universal
1996	Buy America		Movie Play Gold
1998	Perambulator	"Original Sufferhead" Japanese CD, also includes "Frustration" (instrumental) and "Power Show"	Victor
1999	The Best Best of Fela Kuti	re-issued in 2009 as The Best of the Black President	Barclay/Wrasse/MCA Universal/Wrasse Records (2002)/Knitting Factory Records (2009)
2001	Koola Lobitos 64–68	six previously unreleased tracks that also includes The '69 Los Angeles Sessions	Wrasse/MCA Universal
2004	The Underground Spiritual Game		Quannum Projects
2007	Anthology 1	2-CD and DVD set covering his Early Years and pre-1975 Africa 70 recordings; the DVD includes the 1984 documentary Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense	Wrasse/MCA Universal
2008	Lagos Baby 1963 to 1969	39 track, 2-CD set covering Fela's "Jazz & Highlife" recordings from 1963 to 1965 and his "Soul & Afrobeat" recordings from 1966–1969	Vampisoul
2009	Anthology 2	2-CD and DVD set of Africa 70 recordings from 1975 to 1980; the DVD includes the 1978 concert film Fela Live in Berlin	Wrasse/MCA Universal
2012	Live in Detroit, 1986		Knitting Factory Records, Strut Records

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<i>The Best Best of Fela Kuti</i> 1999 compilation album by Fela Kuti

The Best Best of Fela Kuti is a 2-CD compilation album by Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, released in 1999 by MCA Records. It was issued in the United States in 2000 as part of a reissue series of Kuti's albums. The album was reissued as The Best of the Black President in 2009 by Knitting Factory Records and received universal acclaim from music critics. A companion 2-CD compilation, also released in 1999, was reissued in the U.S. in 2013 by Knitting Factory as The Best of the Black President 2.

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<i>Confusion</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa 70

Confusion is a 1975 album by Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti and his Africa 70 band. It was arranged, composed, and produced by Kuti, who recorded the album after choosing to emphasize his African heritage and nationalism in his music. Confusion is a commentary on the confused state of post-colonial Lagos and its lack of infrastructure and proper leadership at the time. Kuti's pidgin English lyrics depict difficult conditions in the city, including a frenetic, multilingual trading market and inextricable traffic jams in Lagos' major intersections.

<i>Gentleman</i> (Fela Kuti album) 1973 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Afrika 70

Gentleman is a 1973 studio album by Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. It was written and produced by Kuti and recorded with his Afrika 70 band. The cover artwork's depiction of a monkey's head superimposed on a suited body is a reference to the album's title track, which Kuti composed as a commentary on the colonial mentality of Africans who adhered to European customs and clothing.

<i>No Agreement</i> 1977 studio album by Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti and Africa 70

No Agreement is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, recorded in 1977 and originally released on the Nigerian Decca label.

<i>Shuffering and Shmiling</i> 1978 studio album by Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti and Africa 70

Shuffering and Shmiling is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, recorded in 1977 and originally released on the Nigerian Coconut label.

<i>Why Black Man Dey Suffer</i> 1971 studio album by Fela Kuti and the Africa 70 with Ginger Baker

Why Black Man Dey Suffer is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti recorded in 1971 and originally released on the Nigerian African Sounds label after EMI refused to release it.

<i>Felas London Scene</i> 1971 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and his Africa 70

Fela's London Scene is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, recorded in England in 1971 and originally released on the Nigerian EMI label.

<i>Open & Close</i> 1971 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa 70

Open & Close is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, recorded in Lagos in 1971 and originally released on the Nigerian His Master's Voice label.

<i>Shakara</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa 70

Shakara is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, recorded in Lagos in 1971 and originally released on the Nigerian EMI label.

<i>Roforofo Fight</i> 1972 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa 70

Roforofo Fight is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti recorded in Lagos and originally released on the Nigerian EMI label Jofabro in 1972.

<i>Afrodisiac</i> (Fela Kuti album) 1973 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa 70

Afrodisiac is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, originally released on the Nigerian EMI label in 1973. The album's four tracks were re-recordings of Nigerian 45s redone in London in 1972. The album features Kuti's first Nigerian hit "Jeun Ko Ku," which sold over 200,000 copies.

The New Afrika Shrine is an open air entertainment centre located in Ikeja, Lagos State. It serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival. Currently managed by Femi Kuti and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, it is the replacement of the old Afrika Shrine created in 1970 by Fela Kuti until it was burnt down in 1977. The New Afrika Shrine showcases photo galleries of Fela and music performances by Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti thus making it a tourist attraction.

Newen Afrobeat is an Afrobeat band that started in 2009 in Chile. Newen Afrobeat revisits Fela Kuti's musical heritage. The word Newén means 'strength' in the Mapuche language.

References

↑ "Barack Obama and the Original First Black President". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

External links

Fela Kuti discography at Discogs

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[1] "Barack Obama and the Original First Black President". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

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