black history month - Fela Kuti

I've found Americans of any color know fairly little about african culture, and I am no exception. My interests and respect lie mostly with the american or at least western blacks.



Fela Kuti is the exception. He was a soulful african who penned many protest songs.. americans would find a favorable comparison to Bob Marley.

This song is so very interesting to me because I can hear a similar heritage in it: the funky beat, the background choir paired with lead singer, the lyrical style, and most especially the 'consider the little guy' philosophy. It tells me that these things did indeed 'come over on the boat' and were not strictly invented here by American blacks. Fascinating.

Fela Kuti's 'V.I.P. - Vagabonds In Power'

VIP (very important person)
VIP (very important person)
VIP (very important person)
VIP (very important person)
Very important person, is in power, in a soso power
every special person, but everybody getting power (everywhere)
everybody getting power (everywhere)
i say everybody getting power (everywhere)
everybody getting power (everywhere)

part 1 coming:

[amanlunke] pusher, him getting power over him [amanlunke] (everywhere)
[moluwydreva], him getting power over [important] conducter (everywhere)
businessman unko, him getting power over employee and employer (everywhere)
inspector general, him getting power over different, different recruit too (everywhere)
kalakuta president, him getting power over kalakuta empire (everywhere)
head of state unko, him getting power over him own country (everywhere)

part 2 coming:

money get the power, he take on such nonsense, (ah-ah), why? (i don't know.)
you don't know...
money get the power, he take on each person, (ah-ah), why? (i don't know.)
ah, i don't know...
money get the power, he take alms till morning, (ah-ah), why? (i don't know.)
you don't know anything at all; you're just my brother, heh heh

try this on:

him know no hungry people (ah-ah)
him know no jobless people (ah-ah)
him know no homeless people (ah-ah)
him know no suffering people (ah-ah)
him go to ride the best car,
him go to eat the best food,
him go to the best house,
him go the [lakaforut],
you go the [kopputsforutforutt],
him go this till morning,
he be wrong-ah! (about the money power)

i sayyy he be wrong-ah (about the money power)
about the money power (about the money power)

i sayyy he be wrong-ah (about the money power)
about the money power (about the money power)

i sayyy he be wrong-ah (about the money power)
about the money power (about the money power)