Gentleman

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Released in 1973, 'Gentleman' critiques the post-colonial mentality in Africa, specifically the adoption of European customs and attire over traditional heritage. The title track, a sprawling Afrobeat composition, features Fela Kuti's newly adopted tenor saxophone and electric piano over the complex, polyrhythmic foundation laid by the Africa 70 band. With its blend of jazz-funk instrumentation, call-and-response vocals sung in Pidgin English, and pointed social commentary, the album is considered a definitive statement in Kuti's catalog and a landmark of the Afrobeat genre.