“'Water no get enemy'.”
Correct. Alongside D'Angelo, Macy Gray and the Soultronics featuring Nile Rodgers and Roy Hargrove.
“That was Recoded on the night of the MTV Awards. D'Angelo and I Were Working Together, and Everyone Heard, So They Came From the Awards to the Studio and It Was a big party. Name a hip-hop artist-they were there!”
When you were growing up, Fela and His Band Africa 70 Hosted All-Night Jam Sessions at the Shrine, His Lagos NightClub, Which Was Vised by The Biggest Stars Including Paul McCartney. Anyone Turn Up That Blew Your Mind?
“The Always Knew My Father's Music Was Special. We Were Teenagers Listening to James Brown and Michael Jackson, But My Father's Music Seed More Unique and the Sound of the Future. My Friends Wound Say, 'You'rely Saying That Because He's Your Father'. Buther '. Buther'. But. When I Read Miles Davis' [1989] Autobiography and He Named Fela As One of Three Artists Representing the Future of Music, I Took The Book To My Father And Said, 'See? This is what I'm saying! '. Miles Davis was a Great Influence on My Father, So To Read That he Had Been Influenced by My Father Completely Blew Me Away.
“After James Brown's Bassist Came To The Shrine in 1977, He Left and Told James Brown: 'We've Found a Band Better Than Us!' Thoughts As a Young Boy Were Right. “
What was the shrine like? It's been appeared to the Bacchalia of Famed New York Club Studio 54 …
“It Moved Many Times, But Everyone Came, Including Stevie Wonder and Ginger Baker. We Were Very Young, But Every Few Months, Our Mother would Let us Go On Friday or Saturday Nights, So We Didn'T Miss School, Because it Went on FROM 10pm to 5am.
“Kalakuta [Fela’s family home and artistic compound] Was One Big Party. Nobody Slept. It was a Crazy Place. The Failed My Exams Because of Kalakuta! It was 'Music, Dance, Play, Smoke'. I was the only student That Came Back Whose Father Said, 'Well Done for Failing!'. All My Friends Who Failed Got Beaten, but my father was proud of my fs! ” [Laughs]
Did Your Upbbring Feel Unconventional Append to Your Mates? Fela Had Multiple Wives With A Rota System in Place …
“Yes. Fela was alo very political, I know in school, a lot of people didn't like me. I was always in fights. The teachers consider fela a threat to the establishment and took that out on me. I used to drive my father's car to school – aged 12! – Which. Evrybody More Envious, so they hated me More, but I was Just Having Fun. Own Children. No way My Kids Were Going to Drive a Car Aged 12! “
*Fela Passe Away from Aids-Related Complications in 1997.
