Femi Kuti

Afro-beat lives on in the music of the Nigerian son of its inventor, Fela "Ransome" Kuti. Highly syncopated, James Brown-inflected beats create some of the earth's tightest grooves, covered in politically charged choruses of vocals and rich, barking horn bursts. Femi began his career taking over the reigns of his father's band in the early 1980s, covering while his father served time in prison -- it was two years until Amnesty International had the political prisoner freed. Following his father's death, Femi took over the band for good, taking the sound to the next generation. He's added his own touches of course, generally shortening the length of the songs and streamlining the melodies for a smoother sound. In addition, work with American DJ's has provided means for new sounds and remixes.