Day By Day

Performer: Femi Kuti
Producer: Sodi
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Femi Kuti (vocals, sopranino saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, organ); Gbenga Laleye (vocals, alto saxophone); Seb Martel, Jacques Ndjiehim, Ademola Adegbola, Julia , Keziah Jones, Camille (guitar); Sodi (recorder); Patrick Goraguer (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboard, percussion); Guy N'Sangue (bass instrument); Kunle Olayode, Debo Folorunsho (drum, percussion); Vladimir Neskovic, Morgan Marchand (programming); Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, Sarr, Onome Udi, Doris Lanzman, Celine Bary, Bose Ajila (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Sodi. As the son of Afro-beat innovator and icon Fela Kuti (he grew up playing in his father's band), it's impossible to impugn Femi Kuti's credentials. Yet even beyond this pedigree, Femi Kuti's musical vision is accomplished and impressive, and nowhere more so than on 2008's DAY BY DAY. A marked evolution from 2001's FIGHT TO WIN, DAY BY DAY finds Kuti more firmly entrenched in traditional Nigerian forms, while simultaneously making the music distinctly his own. To the densely layered polyrhythms and call-and-response vocals indigenous to Afro-beat, Kuti adds touches of reggae, free-form jazz, and classic funk (note the heavy presence of the Hammond B-3 organ). Lyrically, Kuti is no less revolutionary, denouncing oppression and calling his listeners to arms, but the real revolution is in the music. The shifting, kinetic backdrop of DAY BY DAY invents Fela Kuti's legacy anew for the 21st century.

While the London-born Femi Kuti struggled to escape the shadow of his legendary father, the iconic Fela Kuti, Femi has developed a sound distinctly his own by incorporating forms like hip-hop and dancehall into the afrobeat framework. And while he may have expanded upon his father's musical blueprint, he has followed lock-step in Fela's fierce and outspoken political stances. A vocal critic of the Nigerian government and American imperialism, Femi has spoken out on AIDS relief, corruption, and the need for a strong black diaspora. He's a continuing reminder of music's liberating power.

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