Fela Kuti is a Nigerian Afrobeat composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalistwidely regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fela Kuti’s classic Open & Close, Knitting Factory Records and Cooking Vinyl Australia are pleased to announce the first vinyl pressing since the 1980s. This edition features a return to the original gatefold jacket and contains side B tracks Swegbe & Pako, and Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo.

“Perhaps the distinguishing factors of records likeOpen & Closeand some of Fela’s other ’70s releases are that as much as he liked to ride a groove, he also liked to disrupt it, twist it and turn it, reshape it, only to bring it back to its original shape. There was less of that later in his career. AllMusic

Tracklist

Side A
1. Open & Close

Side B
1. Swegbe & Pako
2. Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo