More than just smoke - Oga Kpata Kpata

I have often contemplated trying to introduce “Fela – The Man, His Music and The Legend” as a college level course. It is one I would teach exceedingly well considering that the man has mesmerized me ever since I first saw him decades ago. Add to that it would be nothing less than true labor of love, it would also be very enjoyable if not border line therapeutic for both teacher and student.

Fela refuses to go away despite dying more than 10 years ago, stubbornly reinventing himself from the grave. His music remains relevant today and he is now without a doubt Nigeria’s most sampled Musician. And rightfully so. I say this because years ago when NASA created and shot a catalog of mankind into space attempting to introduce us to any Extraterrestrial beings out there, they also included samples of our Music as well. So tucked in between songs like Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Michael Jackson’s Thriller also lay Fela’s Shakara etching he “Who Carries Death in His Pouch” forever in stone as one of the best ever.

Each time Fela’s music is sampled remixed or as we in the business say “re cooked” one can only smile in amazement as to how a phenomenon that started as a part time project in smoky hall in Lagos not too long ago, has now spread and cast it’s shadow all over the world. Each time I hear a new take on any of his golden oldies I am just stunned as to how different he can be interpreted and rejoice in the fact that he will forever remain brand “new” in our minds despite being a fallen old soldier. I have therefore made it a point and duty to keep on researching The Man, His Music and The Legend and to keep bringing to the forefront the best odes to Oga Kpata Kpata. Bearing this in mind Ladies and Gentlmen I present the latest "Chef" of Felarism aka Chicago's DJ Mike Love and a sample of his "soup", with some other past "dishes" as well.

Enjoy.

1.American Dreaming(The Jay Z Kpata Kpata Mix)DJ Mike Love Nigerian Gangster

2.Water No get Enemy (The Red Hot Remix)D'Angelo and Macy Gray

3.Pray (Everybody Skata Skata Mix )DJ Mike Love Nigerian Gangster

4.By Ur Side (The Cotton Belly Mix )Sade

5.No Agreement (The We No Go Gree Mix)Tony Allen Ray Lema, Baaba Maal

6.Roc Boys - And the Winner is The Black President Mix DJ Mike Love Nigerian Gangster

Robot  # 1 | 08.05.2008 04:38

://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2648/fela20kuti20pottl1....Read the full article.

Abraxas  # 2 | 08.05.2008 05:12

Hi, my pikin, Iwedi Ojinmah (a.k.a. Suya)! GOD bless yoo, well-well, {yoo hear?} Mouth no fit t'ank yoo finish for dis good work wey yoo done start for our Village of origin (of no regret). I beg, no forget to remember to add more-o. Me, I dey wait patiently for more,sha. Muchas gracias. Don Juan-Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

SUYA  # 3 | 08.05.2008 08:24

Abraxas Nwannem Dalu..... Okay u asked < Being Edited >

anonimi  # 4 | 08.05.2008 09:32

Many thanks for digging these links up and sharing them.

SUYA  # 5 | 08.05.2008 09:39

Fela’s DNA has escaped the cold confines of the grave and now continues to live in the following Artists. Listen to him in the first link in rare form and see if you can feel him transplanted in the other compilations. I have a funny feeling you will……… Fogo Fogo Delicious Noise……Fela’s Drummer Toney Allen Toney Allen Sahara All Star Band Paying Props…..first a street, now a marriage with Fela DJ Mike Love Nigerian Gang... Bola Johnson Dr Victors International B...

BiafranPrincess  # 6 | 08.05.2008 13:07

THANK U! Thank u! He remains one of the greatest musician/philosopher in Africa!

K_Station  # 7 | 08.05.2008 15:41

Dis na killer jams man! I had my headphones on all day today at work and my colleagues in the office begged to have a taste of this tracks wey dey make me nod my head endlessly, they all love it! Thanks Suya!

SUYA  # 8 | 08.05.2008 19:28

PAPIG  # 9 | 08.05.2008 20:14

OLUFELA OUR FELA What can i say about this man called Fela? Take ongoing analysis of our polity for instance. He had rightly analysed and attempted to profer solutions to our myriad of problems especially as it relates to our retrogression as a society inspite of our well endowed natural and human resources. This was not only on vinyl but also on the Nigeria lecture circuits involving Nigerian institutions of higher learning and on the streets. Coincidentally he gave his own opinion with uncanny pin-point accuracy as it relates to the integrity of our immediate president from Otta decades ago and did not shy away from doing same with the elder brother of our current president who happened to be the number two of the man from Otta. See where these same people have led us to and see our reaction in newspapers and internet sites. Why did we not listen to words of wisdom from people like the abami-eda and are we now paying the price for our folly or is it fatal docility? Hiding behind the dangerous mantra, E go better, is what has led us to the abyss with common thieves as our leaders and heroes. Take any intellectual discourse now raging in all sorts of fora about Nigeria and Africa, one man had already blazed the trail. It cannot be said that Nigeria did not have fearless men and women of conscience, with the love of the masses at the centre of their heart and the upliftment of the down-trodden the sole reason of their existence. I dare say at the top of this special pyramid of our true heroes stand Olufela Anikulapo Kuti. I do not need Newsweek or Time magazines to tell me.

pappilo  # 10 | 09.05.2008 01:37

Thanks for the downlaods I think his originals are still the best though