African Soul Rebels,Akli D,Ba Cissoko,Femi Kuti
Brighton Dome
26th February, 2007

View: front circle, dead centre

First up, Akli D plus band proceed to play a selection of North African popular music. His musicians are tight and provide an able foil for his work. After a brief interval, Ba Cissoko arrives. He’s a fluent kora player and provides some beautiful sounds. An electric bass was added, turning it into a rock concert, with a second kora grinding out a fuzz Hendrix would’ve been proud of. Again, a few numbers, and it’s all over. Another brief interval and Femi Kuti’s rhythm section appeared. They strike-up an ever-so-funky Afro groove and, on Parade, the brass section is closely followed by three gyrating, gorgeous backing girls.

Then Femi strides on and the first number, Truth Don Die, is his shot at the on-going corruption that’s instilled in Nigeria. It’s a horn-fest of sweaty raw power, with bass, drums and percussion locked together. The rest of the night proceeds in a similar vein, with new and old work given runs. Femi seemed almost in a daze as he thumped out chords from a wobbly electric piano, then fluid as he jived to the Afrobeat, then a jazzmaster as he wove his sax through the mesmerising mix. After just an hour, and with little preamble, he was gone.

Reviewed by Michael De Koningh
<< Back to Issue 336

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