There are some damn good reasons to work at a record store and getting turned on to genres of music you never knew existed is one of the best. Along with some of the Tropicalia stuff (Os Mutantes in particular) Fela Kuti and Nigerian funk was one of those blasts that permanently left a mark on me and gave me a new definition of what FUNK meant. I was giving away some ice cream in Newport Beach yesterday and decided to play this album while slinging. For the rest of the day this was all I listened to, and I never stopped getting down.
Fela’s history is a loooong one. You’ll have to go do some serious digging on your own and I’m sure there’s lenghty articles and books on the “James Brown of Africa.” (Here’s his wiki for shortcuttin’) What li’l I’ve been told revolved around Fela being the biggest artist in Africa in the Seventies, him constanstly butting heads with the government of his home country Nigeria, loving marijuana, and having one of the most talented bands ever assembled, Africa ’70. (Tony Allen alone is another research paper).
My memory of the story of “Expensive Sht” goes like this. Fela had gotten so big and rich from his music and touring that he could pretty much do whatever he wanted. Outside of being obsessed with brushing his teeth all the time he really liked to get high. When he traveled he made his own pot butter/hash/ball-o-goodness so he could get it on planes and when he was home he always had pot around. One day the cops busted in and tried to arrest him for this. He ate everything before they got to him and the cops threw him in jail and waited for him to relieve himself so they could test his excrement then bust him for the marijuana. For days Fela wouldn’t give them what they wanted. After a few days, when the guards weren’t looking he took care of business then quickly chucked it out a window. By the time he got around to #2 again, the marijuana was gone and they had nothing on him. So… with a story like this… what other choice do you have than to make an album and song titles “Expensive Sht.” All novelty aside, this is a genuine funk masterpiece and everyone should have a little Fela in their lives.
Keep checking back for Fela updates. My friend Bob saw Fela in Detroit in the Eighties and I think he has some audio and videos from doing some touring with him (rad…huh?). I’ll keep buggin him to try to get some goodness to pass along.
