Recording

Shakara
Fela Ransome-Kuti & Africa 70

Independently chosen for2 of our lists. Here is what each of them said.

Released

1972

Label

EMI

On

Afrobeat and The Waxonia Desk — One Subject

Updated

2026-08-29

1. 03

   Ranked No. 3 in Afrobeat

   The template arriving fully formed: a fifteen-minute instrumental build, then the vocal, then the argument. Afrobeat's structure is settled here and barely changes afterwards.

2. ·

   Picked by The Waxonia Desk — One Subject

   Fifteen minutes before the vocal arrives. Programming a record like this for an audience trained to expect a hook inside thirty seconds is the whole problem, and it is worth solving.