''Why Black Man Dey Suffer'' is an album by Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the p ...

recorded in 1971 and originally released on the Nigerian African Sounds label after

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

refused to release it.Fela Kuti discography
accessed May 8, 2014.

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

review awarded the album 4½ stars, stating: "''Why Black Man Dey Suffer'' is a relatively early chapter in the Fela discography, originally recorded in 1971. Put to tape with early band Africa 70 and

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

drummer/Afro-beat enthusiast Ginger Baker on board as well, the record is made up of two extensive, repetitive, and loping pieces."Thomas, F.
Allmusic Review
accessed May 9, 2014.

Track listing

''All compositions by Fela Kuti'' # "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – 15:15 # "

Ikoyi Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood of Lagos, located in Eti-Osa Local Government Area. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and adjoins Lagos Island to the west, and at the edge of the Lagos Lagoon. Popular with the extreme upper class res ...

Mentality Versus Mushin Mentality" – 12:56

Original art cover/painting (1971)

''Grace Okotie-Eboh Oduro'' # "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" All Rights reserved (Painting Copy write – Grace Okotie-Eboh Oduro) # "Reason behind the painting was to depict the slavery and exploitation of the African(Black Man) by the Europeans and the Arabs"

Personnel

–

electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...

, vocals * Tonny Njoku – trumpet *

Igo Chico Igo Chico played tenor saxophone for Fela Kuti's afrobeat entourage Africa '70 during its formative period in the early-1970s. He eventually left the band after a dispute with Kuti, who took up tenor saxophone himself to replace him. Chico's swelli ...

– saxophone * Tony Allen,

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and Music of Africa, Africa ...

– drums

References

{{Authority control Fela Kuti albums Ginger Baker albums 1971 albums Afrobeat albums