One of the finest Fela LP's featuring 'Sandra' on vocals - ‘Upside Down’ – this LP and ‘Zombie’, both released in 1976, were made at the midpoint of an extraordinary three-year purple period during which Fela recorded 24 albums of new material.

‘Upside Down’ was written by Fela to portray a worldly travelled African who searches the dictionary and finds the definition of upside down – a perfect description of the African situation.

‘Upside. ‘Upside Down’ is unusual in that it includes a second lead vocalist, Fela’s American friend Sandra Izsadore – Sandra, the woman who stood by Fela and also brought him in contact with the Black Panther during his transformation years in the United States, came back to visit a highly popular and successful Fela in Nigeria in 1976.

Upside Down was written by Fela to portray a worldly travelled African, who searches the dictionary, and finds the definition of upside down—a perfect description of the African situation. ‘I have travelled widely all over the world like any professor…’ Fela makes Sandra sing: “The thing I have seen I will like to talk about upside-up and downside-down, in overseas! Everything is organise. Their system organise! They have their own names!” But back home in Africa, everything is: ‘head for down yanish for up! Everything is disorganise!’. Meaning back home, everything is totally disorganized—Upside Down Go Slow: Go slow is about the crawling Lagos traffic jam that symbolizes the confusion that reigns in Nigeria.

Fela compares the traffic situation with a person in jail. He says: ‘you have to be a man in life!’. That is a natural instinct in man but when caught in Lagos traffic, all your aspirations and confidence as a man will wither away. You feel suddenly incapacitated, like a man in jail. Or how would you feel driving on a Lagos road and suddenly, in your front there is a lorry to your left a taxi cab, all vehicles in a standstill. Also to your right, a tipper truck and behind you a ‘molues’ passenger bus and above you a helicopter flying. To complete the picture of you imprisoned on the Lagos highway.

In response to popular demand Knitting Factory Records reissue seven of Nigerian icon and Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti’s most important albums. This will be the first time they are released individually since their original vinyl release in Nigeria in the 70s and 80s.

The LPs feature the original releases’ iconic artwork and include digital download card and liner notes. The seven LPs were included in the third Fela Kuti box set, curated by Brian Eno and released in 2014. This is the first time these titles have been released individually on vinyl.

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One of greatest, most legendary musicians of all-time – Nigeria-born multi instrumentalist, writer, singer, composer, political force and pioneer of 'afrobeat', Fela Ransome Kuti.

"The people’s champion. Defender of the Disenfranchised. Castigator of the Corrupt. Loved by millions in his Nigerian homeland, across Africa, throughout the diaspora and now, by an ever-growing legion of admirers in every corner of the world, irrespective of their race or nationality. To this day his legacy lives on across the globe with his outright political views and powerful music being as relevant as ever." Fela.net