From Rio With Love -- The Ultimate Fela Mix

Despite the presence of arguably the largest pool of Yoruba’s outside of Nigeria in the Salvador da Bahia area of Brazil, DJ Fenando speaks neither Yoruba nor pidgin making his feat even more impressive. His uncanny sense of rhythm and ear for music rewards us with one of the more original mixes of the year
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[Big-K]

Suya,

Wow!!..the best Fela mix I've listened to recently. Especially from around 20 mins mins onwards (The Jay-Z / Water no get enemy mix is simply brilliant!) ...I can't believe this guy wasn't familiar with Fela until now..

[SUYA]

K true to God U know music. Thats right were Antibalases (below) trumpets arrive's with the potency of my Fathers back hand slap. Ist is safe to say that Afro beat has a new pulse and its name is Antibalas.

[bobokite]

very good mix. thanks.

[perfect]

Good mix

[otito]

What you sow ,you read, He sowed in pain - imagine someone who does not even speak his language taking his work to this level.

Rest in peace

OTITO

[Ewuro]

Originally Posted by ewuro

big thanks. There are many bands playing fela's type of music all over the world in the us, canada, south america and europe. In austria the familykuti band is doing a great job of it. Type in 'familykuti' on youtube for a taste!

Fela did something unprecedented to music in general and to africa in particular.

Underpining his great achievement was boldness to challenge old values and a lot of hardwork. Fela was a perfectionist when it came to his music. He did not compromise on rehearsals. Several hours daily on his sax and keyboards.

He was hard on himself. Once a record was released he would not play it live. This puts a lot of pressure oh him to create more.

He had a leverage and a past in his family and egba roots. You can see that in all his siblings: Late prof. Olikoye ransome-kuti, the former health minister and senior brother, and his junior brother late dr. Beko ransome kuti.

The activism and creativity of his first cousin, wole soyinka (mother is a ransome-kuti) is well known to all of us. They all imbibed the activism and creativity for which egba are well known.

This artistic spirit of the egbas is revealed in many artistes from abeokuta origin: Wole soyinka(musical!), fela, tunji oyelana, ambrose campbell,yussuf olatunji alias baba legba,tunde nightingale, adeolu akinsanya, ebenezer obey (fabiyi), idowu animashaun (apola king), prince adekunle, ayinla omowura,sir shina peters and many more.

I make bold to say that there is no town or city in nigeria that has produced as many recorded artistes with varying degree of success. Ba wa! Ilu egba oni baje. Ase!

Fela's grandfather was recorded as an accomplished musician. So was his father.

The father composed the egba national anthem, lori oke..... Egbas used to sing this instead of 'god hail the king/queen' during empire days in the colonial era.

The coloniast were irked by this and the indomitable spirits of the egba.

Fela, abami eda, anikulapo, held death in his pouch. He is alive and will live for ever through his music.

x x

[tengallons]

Just listened to the whole mix. Straight up and down, this mix is on point! Thank you Suya and thank you DJ Fenando. Most of all, THANK YOU FELA. In terms of projecting Nigeria, Fela has done more than all the career diplomats and ministers of foreign affairs put together. My my my, what a feeling...

[SUYA]

I make bold to say that there is no town or city in nigeria that has produced as many recorded artistes with varying degree of success. Ba wa! Ilu egba oni baje. Ase!

Um arguably Aba may have more.....but sometimes volume does not translate into "success". Fela bar none is and was the Sun of African Music. Till today everyone else borrows his light, just in various forms.

[Ewuro]

Originally Posted by SUYA

I make bold to say that there is no town or city in nigeria that has produced as many recorded artistes with varying degree of success. Ba wa! Ilu egba oni baje. Ase!

Um arguably Aba may have more.....but sometimes volume does not translate into "success". Fela bar none is and was the Sun of African Music. Till today everyone else borrows his light, just in various forms.

Argue with those names (artistes) from Aba. That would make sense. If you are able to provide half of as many names I provided from Abeokuta from any Nigeria town, I'll give you some credit! Don't just create names o!

In yorubaland, people like Ebenezer Obey, Yussuf Olatunji, Adeolu Akinsanya, Ayinla Omowura and even Shina Peters had serious commercial success. Obey ,Yussuf and Ayinla could have sold more records than Fela- that is just Yorubaland. Of course we know Fela sold more nationally and is the most commercially successful internatioanlly.

[SUYA]

Guys guess what ? The British Billboards have just approached us ( fernando Mixer and myself project Director to put up the Mix. See as small thing don become big O !

[Ewuro]

Originally Posted by suya

guys guess what ? The british billboards have just approached us ( fernando mixer and myself project director to put up the mix. See as small thing do become big o !

congratulations!

[SUYA]

Dude I am not here to argue I am here to share and learn. I dont need to make up stuff because I am sure that if I name groups like Apostles, Sweet Breeze, Funkees, Founders 15, Wings..Original and Super you may be lost. So need to even dig real deep. Fact to the matter is that 99% of the Music after the war that came from The East is umbilically attached to Aba.

But back to Fela......

[SUYA]

K I swear Fernando knew nothing about Fela circa 2 months ago. We became pals like 3 months ago when I gave him pointers on a Funk Mix he made and requested that he work on the sound track of a small movie project I am working on.. Anyway I sent him circa 40 tracks and had him do his thing.

Thats him below and you can see the Fela in him. If you dont let me share that he just opened the beer with his teeth. 4 months ago e for be opener.

[SUYA]

Originally Posted by Ewuro

congratulations!

\


Thanks My Broda.

[Ewuro]

Originally Posted by SUYA

Dude I am not here to argue I am here to share and learn. I dont need to make up stuff because I am sure that if I name groups like Apostles, Sweet Breeze, Funkees, Founders 15, Wings..Original and Super you may be lost. So need to even dig real deep. Fact to the matter is that 99% of the Music after the war that came from The East is umbilically attached to Aba.

But back to Fela......

Compare those names to BLO, OFO the black company, Monomono, Segun Bucknor, Habeeb kareem, Sunny Okosun, Geraldo Pino....

The Big players in terms of commercial success are:

FELA, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Ayinla Omowura, Osadebey, Victor Olaiya, Eddie Okonta, Ayinde barrister, Haruna Ishola, tunji Oyelan, idowu Animashaun, Bongos Ikwue, Bobby Benson, Victor Uwaifor, Maman shata, dan mariya of jos, Ayinla kebe kwara, Dele Abiodun

I heard about the Apostles and the Funkees but they are not big. |Maybe one or two gigs at Ajegunle, nobody dey listen to those outside Aba.

[Balo]

It does not matter how many times I went to shrine in a week (yabis night, comprehensive night, ladies night) and even wednesdays and his practice sections, how many times I went to his house and sat with Abami himself, how many times I have listened to his music amongst many others, I just cannot get enough of this man. No one can come close to Baba - what a creation.

SUYA I WANT THIS MIX.

[SUYA]

Ewuo u make my point for me again !!!

First of all It is very snooty to look down upon others just because you didnt listen to them or they did not play in your area and who made Lagos the Overseeing Quality Control experts of Nigerian Music?

It is almost as if Musicians like Osadebe and Oriental Brothers (all commerical giants BTW ) did not exsist before playing in Lagos !!! Did u ever consider that some flew over Lagos and became big in places like Accra Abidjan and Douala before being discovered by Lagos ala Prince Mbarga?

And how many competitions did The Funkees or Harry Moscol their leader (that nobody listen to out of Aba) win in Europe? Fact to the matter this is NOT about Comparison but about the sheer number of bands that Existed period and I'll leave it at that.

Maybe we can start a new thread on this. Right now I want to bask in my upcoming commercial success and gloat over Fernandos awesome roll of the dice. Abeg help me make I kuku ma enjoy the moment.

[SUYA]

Originally Posted by BBalogun

It does not matter how many times I went to shrine in a week (yabis night, comprehensive night, ladies night) and even wednesdays and his practice sections, how many times I went to his house and sat with Abami himself, how many times I have listened to his music amongst many others, I just cannot get enough of this man. No one can come close to Baba - what a creation.

SUYA I WANT THIS MIX.

Send me ur Email addy to Ojinmah@Gmail.com. Anyone who calls Baba , "Abami" deserves instant respect.

I have a funny feeling U fit sabee me for Shrine ! Na me be dis O , but that time I get dada and I always had a smoke in one hand and a stick of Suya in the other.

[valteena]

Abami Eda himself. The best of the best.
RIP Baba 70
Your music lives on !!!
Great mix Suya. Loved it. Especially the mix with Jay z's rock boyz. That was mean man. Kudos