Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2013
Afrobeat giant Fela Kuti is being feted at a special event in Aoyama. A political firebrand and musical genius, Kuti’s influence continues to percolate through pop culture to the point that a musical has been made from his life, and Afrobeat bands can now be found as far away as Japan. One of them, Kingdom Afrocks, will take part in a tribute alongside free-jazz freakout orchestra Shibusashirazu, both of which will perform songs left unreleased by Kuti before his death of AIDS in 1997. Groovemasters Ken Hidaka and Kenji Hasegawa will be spinning Kuti tunes in a night also to feature photos of Kuti taken by lensman Toru Sakai.
