The complete works of Fela Kuti will be seeing new light this coming Spring and Summer. The legendary afrobeat pioneer's expansive catalog is getting revamped once again in a three-part re-issue on Knitting Factory Records/Kalakuta Sunrise, complete with track-by-track liner notes by afrobeat historian and writer Chris May (no small feat for a discography spanning almost 50 albums). This particular compilation, due out in March, will be the first of a series covering The Black President's lengthy career to be released in the UK and Europe between March and September 2013. The good folks at Knitting Factory Records have dropped one of the remastered tracks from the releases "Everything Scatter" which you can check below--of particular historic interest to Okayplayers since the haunting 3-note bassline that opens the track also very likely inspired Charlie Hunter's foundation for the neo-afrobeat of D'Angelo's "Spanish Joint." The Best Of The Black President 2 comes out on March 4 of this year. Also for the stans, make sure to catch the FELA! musical on its US tour which just kicked off in DC, see the full dates below and hit the link below for tix.
TOUR DATES
1/31 - 2/10: Sidney Harmon Hall - Washington, DC
2/12 - 2/17: Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts - Detroit, MI
2/19 - 2/23: Arie Crown Theater - Chicago, IL
2/25 - 2/26: Belk Theater at Blumental Performing Arts Center - Charlotte, NC
2/28 - 3/3: The Fox Theater - Atlanta, GA
3/8 - 3/9: Proctors Theater - Schenectady, NY
3/15 - 3/17: TBA - Memphis, TN
3/19 - 3/24: Adrienne Arsht Center - Miami, FL
4/2 - 4/4: Playhouse Square Palace Theater - Cleveland, OH
4/12 - 4/13: UA Centennial Hall - Tucson, AZ
4/23 - 4/24: ASU Gammage Memorial Auditorium - Tempe, AZ
4/25 - 5/5: Ahmanson Theater at the Music Center - Los Angeles, CA
5/7 - 5/17: Winspear Opera House - Dallas, TX
5/28 - 6/2: Paramount Theater - Seattle, WA
