When Fela Kuti released his critique of the military, a rousing number called "Zombie," 1,000 soldiers stormed his house. As marked a man as he was, when Kuti died in 1997, it actually resulted from AIDS-related causes. Red Hot & Riot, a new tribute album to Kuti, is produced by the AIDS-awareness organization Red Hot, and it may be the most comprehensive collaboration between Western and African artists since Fela himself mixed up an expansive batch of funk and jazz styles and called it Afrobeat.
Kuti's arrangements exploded from all sides of the stereo, and so, too, do these new interpretations. The stunning 10-minute "Water No Get Enemy" finds D'Angelo's playful Rhodes piano work mixing with vocals he shares with Macy Gray and Femi Kuti, Fela's son, who also plays alto sax. They're joined by a full horn section called the African Positive Force, along with Nile Rodgers' wah-wah guitar and Roy Hargrove's flash trumpet. Together, they hit the ground running.
On "Kalakuta Show," Blackalicious' Gift of Gab shows how well textured hip-hop can work against a Fela riff, and a remix of Nigerian-born star Sade's hit "By Your Side," plastered with Fela samples into a dub track by Cottonbelly, might be better renamed "By Yoruba Side."
Gradually, the CD moves from Fela's door-shattering hard funk to a sweeter, sadder sound, reflecting the essence of Fela's soul, as well as the tragedy of 40 million Africans who are HIV-positive, destined to share in his fate.
