deluxe cd and hardbound book with extensive liner notes and never-published-before photos of fela kuti. 'black man's cry' is a beautiful selection of covers and music inspired by the godfather of afro-beat. this fela estate-approved anthology includes rare and previously unreleased music from nigeria, ghana, colombia, trinidad and more. fela kuti and his africa 70 popularized the hybrid of highlife, jazz and james brown style, big-band funk he invented: afro-beat. in nigeria, his countrymen knew his music like americans know elvis. on foreign shores, a chosen few westerners - cream's drummer ginger baker and new york-based jazz vibraphonist roy ayers amongst them - could claim to know the extent of fela's genius. as a result, while music historians have filled books with references to the influence of westerners on fela's creation, little has been said about fela's inspiration on others. fela's music, and that of his organization inspired musicians across the global village when afro-beat was new and novel. this compilation focuses on the music fela inspired - whether by fellow nigerians recording alongside him in the early 70s, neighbours in ghana, then-modern colombian cumbia ensembles inspired by the man who injected a new feel into the yoruban rhythms that formed cumbia's base, trinidadian steel bands or the select few organizations left that have maintained fela's fury in the new millennium. this is but a cursory investigation into those inspired by fela kuti's genius, but it is unique: the first time that many of these tracks are not only offered a second chance for worthy introspection, but, in the case of many, the first time they're being issued full stop.