Alagbon Close (50th Anniversary)

Alagbon Close was the first of Fela Kuti’s albums to feature a sleeve designed by Ghariokwu Lemi, whose artwork quickly became an integral part of both Fela’s catalogue and the Afrobeat movement.

The album takes its name from the Nigerian Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Lagos. The title track recounts two police raids on Fela’s home in April and May 1974. During the first, police failed to find the marijuana they were searching for. In the second, they attempted to plant a joint on Fela, but he swallowed it. Detained at Alagbon Close for three days, the police waited for evidence that never surfaced, thanks to a clever ‘faeces switch’ engineered by Fela’s cellmates in what they jokingly called Kalakuta Republic (‘kalakuta’ is Swahili for ‘rascal’). Upon his release, Fela renamed his house Kalakuta Republic.

Alagbon Close calls out police violence, arrogance, and the seeming immunity from prosecution in Nigeria. “Nothing special about uniform,” sings Fela, to which the chorus replies, “Uniform na cloth na tailor dey sew am like my dress,” highlighting that a uniform does not place one above the law.

Originally released on the independent Jofabro label in 1974, Alagbon Close marks the first full flowering of Afrobeat, both musically and as a principled political philosophy. Instrumentally, the album brings together the signature elements of Afrobeat that had not yet coalesced so cohesively. Lyrically, it delivers a bold confrontation with the Nigerian state’s enforcement powers.

While some of the musical elements were present in earlier recordings, Alagbon Close sees Fela pulling them together to devastating effect, solidifying the classic Afrobeat paradigm.

LP pressed on Jollof (translucent orange) vinyl.

Available to pre-order now

Released on 11th October 2024