GENTLEMAN

180gm vinyl LP pressing. 1973 s Gentleman is the last of Fela s early 1970s transitional albums - it was followed by 1974 s Alagbon Close on which he brought all Afrobeat s signature ingredients together. The title track from can be interpreted literally or as metaphor concerning a wider issue. In this case Fela s topic is the colonialism-induced inferiority complex which LED many in Africa s new governing elites to reject African style concepts of beauty and modes of behaviour in favour of European imports. Gentleman s other tracks quot;Fefe Naa Efequot; and quot;Igbe quot; have briefer lyrics. On quot;Fefe Naa Efe quot; an Ashanti motto from Ghana Fela tells a woman dumped by her boyfriend that she must get over the heartache and move on. On quot;Igbequot; (shit) Fela declares that anyone who betrays a friend is shit and that anybody who lacks self-respect is shit - something you want to expel from your body as soon as possible. He sings the word quot;shitquot; in a several Nigerian languages so there is no misunderstanding.