Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective - Colonial Mentality

The Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective was born a few years ago of a family of friends in music school who shared the love of music, particularly the music and message of Fela Kuti. At the suggestion of a friend to start their own band (not taken seriously, at first), it is Fela's music that gave the fuel and passion for the group to put their own spin on Afrobeat by fusing the sounds of West Africa, with a hint of Southern Africa, and the fire of the London music scene.

As a tribute to their beloved musical hero, the collective has done an excellent cover of Fela's "Colonial Mentality". Here's a live performance from 2016 at the Sofar Sounds headquarters.


Trumpet - Sheila Maurice-Grey (Bandleader)
Saxophone - Cassie Kinoshi
Trombone - Richie SeivWright
Bass - Mutale Chashi
Guitar - Oscar Jerome
Keyboards - Yohan Kebede
Percussion - Onome Ighamre
Drums - Eddie Hicks

Happy Birthday Fela Kuti!

We, here at The Record Realm would like to wish the late, great "Father of Afro-Beat", Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), a very happy birthday in remembrance of his legacy through music and activism. To celebrate the occasion, our own resident DJ Kool Emdee has mixed up a special batch of remixed and re-imagined Fela originals. Press play and enjoy!

Finding Fela: Documentary

Finding Fela is a documentary that tells the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti (October 15, 1938 – August 2, 1997), his political and social impact, and the creator of a new genre he called "Afro-Beat" that helped spark a movement. The film is produced and directed by Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney [Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)], and co-produced by Jack Gulick. The film hits theaters starting August 1st in New York City, and premiere in other cities through September 19th. Go here to view schedule of showtimes.

The soundtrack for the film will include 17 of Fela's classics and a never-before released version of “Colonial Mentality” recorded live at the New Afrika Shine and features his son Femi Kuti on saxophone. You can pre-order the soundtrack from Knitting Factory Records. All orders will ship on July 29th.