Fela Kuti – Alagbon Close (LP Vinyl)
Product Details
Fela Kuti turned his own imprisonment into a political weapon, and *Alagbon Close* is one of the earliest and sharpest examples of that defiance. Released in 1974, it arrived during a period when Fela was increasingly positioning the Kalakuta Republic as a sovereign space outside Nigerian state authority, a confrontation that would only escalate through the decade. The two extended tracks here showcase his Afrika 70 band at full power, with James Brown-indebted grooves locked in service of unflinching social critique.
Alagbon Close was named after the headquarters of the Nigerian Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos. It was where Fela was detained after the 2nd raid on his home failed to find anything incriminating. The title track calls out the Nigerian police's violence, arrogance and apparent immunity from prosecution. Alagbon Close was also the first of Fela's albums to have a sleeve designed by Ghariokwu Lemi, whose artwork became an integral part of Afrobeat's message. To mark it's 50th anniversary, the album is presented on Jollof orange color vinyl in a single pocket, wide-spine jacket with gold foil OBI strip.
Tracklist
UPC: 720841207184
Label: Partisan Records
Release Date: 10.11.24
Format: LP Vinyl