The African Soul Rebels tour is now an annual fixture at the Usher Hall, but this year the format is slightly different. Instead of the usual mix of three or four groups and artists from the continent, tonight is almost entirely given over to one performer.
When that performer is the youngest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, performing with his late father’s equally legendary band Egypt 80, it’s easy to see why the organisers have taken this new route.
Support band Donso have, it must be said, a thankless task. Given the role of warming up the Usher Hall’s near deserted stalls, they seem somewhat distant and isolated on stage playing to a smattering of audience members.
With most ticket holders still in the bar, slowly their Fourth World fusion of African rhythms melded with beat driven electronics begin to drag people in. By the end of their forty minute set, a small dance faction has even started up in the allotted area before the stage. However, despite the odd blast of digital bass ripple and surge, Donso are a pleasant enough but easily forgettable background noise. Perhaps a smaller space would suit them rather than the cavernous grandeur of the Usher Hall.
Egypt 80, on the other hand, positively fill the stage with a mass of guitarists, percussionists and vocalists as well as a four piece brass section. They strike up a thunderous groove as extended intro for the prodigal son. A clarion of horns, drums, cheesewire guitar and chants of “Fela Kuti! Fela Kuti!” finally summons Seun Kuti to the stage. The living reincarnation of his father, Seun is imposingly fit and trim in tight-fitting shirt and trousers with saxophone hanging from around his neck
Egypt 80 slam into “Original Sufferhead”, a Fela Kuti classic performed in honour of him by his son. It is an awesome sight and sound to witness this 12-piece band tightly blast out a raw, dense rhythmical maze. Seun seems to truly embody the role of his father, going beyond any notion of mere tribute. He careers around the stage, occasionally parping wildly and monotonally into his sax.
Playing for near two hours, much of the remainder of the set is given over to selections from Kuti’s new CD From Africa With Fury: Rise. Expansive musical workouts interspersed with raps on everything from politics to drugs and sex. Kuti leads an audience chant to legalise marijuana (this goes down well with the large young hipster quotient in the crowd, possibly less so with certain stony-faced older people out for a night of healthily organic world music), while reminding the gentlemen in the audience that smoking is bad for their balls.
He also proves to be his father’s son by rhapsodising at length on his fondness for vaginas.
By the end of an explosive performance, with barely a let-up in the relentless tempo, the dance area is a heaving, jumping throng and Kuti himself is shirtless and sweating (easily winning the female audience vote), still hurling himself around the stage. Finally, Egypt 80 judder to a crashing standstill as Kuti and his two girl backing vocalists, who have spent the past two hours in a never-ending gyrating loop, stand out stage front with their fists raised in the air.
It is a moment of triumph at the end of an incredible evening. Seun Kuti has successfully invoked the memory and legacy of his father and brought a furious Afrobeat party to Edinburgh. Thankfully, Edinburgh has responded in kind.