Fela, second edition

"John Collins has given us a vibrant and multifaceted portrait of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, told by Collins himself along with many others who knew and worked with Fela. This is a wonderful addition to the literature on Fela that reveals the complexity of the man and his role as a giant of modern African music, told by someone who was on the scene with Fela in the 1970s and who knew just the right angles to pursue."—Michael E. Veal, author of Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon

"Collins's book is rife with anecdotes derived from lived encounters with Fela that would simply be inaccessible to most biographers This is a wonderful read that will certainly provide insights not available elsewhere."—Rob Bowman, Equinox Publishing

"[A]n intricate, but highly-accessible, examination of the afrobeat superstar. Rather than presenting his reader with a specific conclusion about Fela, his musicianship, or his legacy, Collins delivers a diverse, and at times incongruous, set of perspectives, which demonstrate just how difficult it is to arrive at one."—Nate Plageman, African Studies Quarterly

"Fela is an essential read. Fela Kuti was a highly influential musician who developed a new musical genre, Afrobeat that has spread throughout the world. His music and political activism have influenced numerous individuals throughout the world."—Angel Romero, World Music Central

"In sum, Collins's new edition on Fela is as multilayered and significant a document as the singer's musical contributions. It is a crucial testament about one of the world's most outspoken and radical artists, and gives deep insight into his life, music and struggles against oppression and mediocrity."—Mike Hajimichael, Journal of World Popular Music

"Just as an architectural structure of bricks and mortar provides space for people to live and breathe, so African acoustic structures provide rhythmic space for you to swing, dance and improvise."—The Wire, Epithanies