Long before he became the king of Afrobeat, and one of the most inspirational figures in African culture, Fela Ransome-Kuti was already a recording musician. His early recordings were in the highlife style, the first modern popular music of Ghana and Nigeria. Fela’s Special, premiered here, was one of his first recordings (alongside the track Aigana), which has recently been rediscovered and appears on the new compilation from Soundway Records, Highlife on the Move: Selected Nigerian and Ghanaian Recordings from London and Lagos – 1954-66.
Fela recorded the song in 1960 in London for the Melodisc label, which was one of the main outlets for Caribbean and African music. As Markus Coester writes in the sleevenotes to Highlife on the Move: “Even though [the recordings] had been discographically tracked and people interested in Fela’s musical life knew of them, they kept hiding for more than 50 years. Before I came across them, I was even in doubt whether they had been released at all. These are amazing first recordings, however.”
Have a listen and let us know what you think. You can pre-order Highlife on the Move here.
