Shoki Shoki
Studio album by
Femi Kuti
Released1998
GenreAfrobeat
LabelBarclay[1]
ProducerSodi
Femi Kuti chronology
Femi Kuti
(1995)		 Shoki Shoki
(1998)		 Shoki Remixed
(2000)
Femi Kuti, during a stage performance
Femi Kuti, during a stage performance

Shoki Shoki is an album by the Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, released in 1998.[2][3] The album was released in the United States by MCA Records in 2000.[4] A remix album, Shoki Remixed, was released the same year.[5]

Nigeria's military government banned the album's second track, "Beng beng beng", due to its objections to the sexual subject matter.[6]

Production

Kuti is backed by his band, Positive Force; the album was produced by Sodi and engineered by Mark Saunders.[7][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Robert Christgau(dud)[10]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[11]
NME[12]
Rolling Stone[13]

NME thought that "as basslines, horns and sprightly riffs spiral in a million directions, he also proves keen to continue Fela‘s fight against a range of foes, particularly the Nigerian authorities."[12] Entertainment Weekly stated that Kuti "brilliantly forges a link between Afrobeat and James Brown, spicing his percussive stew with acid jazz, hip-hop, and soul flavor while remaining true to his roots, proving himself an able ambassador to all rhythm nations."[11]

Rolling Stone opined that "throughout the showy Shoki Shoki, he treats Afrobeat's basic rhythm formula as sacred, adding only slight embellishments and updates."[13] The Windsor Star concluded that "while Fela's music often flew off into extended groove workouts, Femi packages his songs into neat arrangements with carefully punctuated horns, call-response vocal dynamics and locked-in polyrhythms."[14]

AllMusic wrote that "like his father, he never lets the lyrically conscious material get in the way of pushing irresistible grooves."[9]

Track listing

  1. "Truth don die" – 6:17
  2. "Beng beng beng" – 4:43
  3. "What will tomorrow bring" – 5:40
  4. "Victim of life" – 6:14
  5. "Blackman know yourself" – 5:15
  6. "Look around" – 6:00
  7. "Sorry sorry" – 6:37
  8. "Eregele" – 7:15
  9. "Scatta head" – 8:20

See also

Fela Kuti

References

  1. ↑ "Afrodisiac". austinchronicle.com.
  2. ↑ "Femi Kuti Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ LeVan, A. Carl; Ukata, Patrick (18 October 2018). "The Oxford Handbook of Nigerian Politics". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa (March 2000). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly (79): 49.
  5. ↑ "Afrobeat Artist Femi Kuti Gets Remix Treatment". MTV News.
  6. ↑ Greenman, Ben (10 April 2000). "Rising Son". The New Yorker. 76: 64.
  7. ↑ Paoletta, Michael (29 January 2000). "Spotlight: Shoki Shoki". Billboard. 112 (5): 36.
  8. ↑ Goldman, Vivien (February 2000). "African Son". Spin. 16 (2): 81.
  9. 1 2 "Shoki Shoki – Femi Kuti | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  10. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Femi Kuti". robertchristgau.com.
  11. 1 2 Diehl, Matt. "Shoki Shoki". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. 1 2 "Shoki Shoki". NME. 12 September 2005.
  13. 1 2 Moon, Tom (2 March 2000). "The afrobeat goes on". Rolling Stone (835): 95.
  14. ↑ Keene, Darrin (23 March 2000). "CD REVIEWS". Windsor Star. p. E6.
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