VA - The Rough Guide To Afrobeat Revival (2009) [Vinyl]

These are the musical sons of Fela Kuti (and in the case of Seun Kuti, his literal son), artists who've taken up the call of Afro-beat since the passing of the genre's greatest inspiration. Some mimic his style closely, others take it to places Fela himself never got the chance to. Nearly all of them are from North America. Tony Allen is the undisputed star here, having drummed for Fela for many years, so it's appropriate that the set opens with his "Crazy Afrobeat," a slice of pure funk that locks into a groove and sticks with it. New York's Antibalas takes it from there, adding a Latin touch that keeps their ten-minute jam, with its finger-wagging lyrics, potent throughout. Seun Kuti, of all here, is the most reminiscent of Fela himself, working with Fela's group Egypt 80 and railing about injustice on the continent. Of the others, Kokolo brings a jazzy '70s soul vibe to their "Trouble Come, Trouble Go." (A bonus disc that comes with the package is devoted entirely to this New York group.) And the 13-member Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble offers the compilation's longest track with the 13-and-a-half-minute "Fela Dey," which delights in taking its time to honor the master and give its various components room to stretch and explore where Afro-beat has been and is headed.