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The title track, “Stalemate” refers to the tug of war between the masses and the government and begins with Fela speak-singing over a mellow Afrobeat groove. On the b-side, “Don’t Worry About My Mouth O”, Fela proselytizes about his preference for traditional African ways, specifically the use of the African chewing stick over the toothbrush. He references Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan’s seminal Afrocentric work “Black Man of the Nile and His Family,” in which many African customs of the past were revealed — and which Fela eventually took as his bible.

Over a decade after his death, vindication has come to Fela Kuti, Africa’s musical genius. AfroBeat, his gift to the world, is now an international staple on his own uncompromising terms, social content intact.

1. fela.net