Review

The deluge of reissues by Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti has not only reinforced the vitality of his music, but it's also sent labels scurrying around for lost Afrobeat gems minted by his old contemporaries. This compilation, however, focuses on Fela's ongoing legacy by presenting a wide variety of recent post-Afrobeat permutations. A number of tracks feature new work by some of Fela's old bandmates — drummer Tony Allen, who brings some hip-hop touches into the fold, and keyboardists Dele Sosimi and Duro Ikujenyo — but most promising is what a new generation of musicians is doing with the music. Jugunlabi peppers soulful house with Afrobeat's chanted exhortations, reedist Kayode Olajide brings jazzy sonorities and improvisation to the stuttery groove, London's Ayetoro wields club-wise nu-soul sensuality and the 16-piece group the Black Face purvey a hybrid called Palongo, tossing juju and fuji into the mix. That indelible Afrobeat sound is prevalent on all 13 tracks, but the range of fusions here proves the form still has plenty of life left in it.