Fela Kuti - International Thief Thief (I.T.T.) (Harmonica & Moblack / Henry Schwarz Remixes) [Defected]

These are the words of legendary Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti, words that remain as true as ever over two decades since his untimely passing. A pioneer of the Nigerian revolution, his fight against police oppression remains an ongoing conversation in the country. Now, Defected pays homage to Fela's vital work with a special 12" release, as Armonica and MoBlack revisit Fela Kuti's ‘International Thief Thief (I.T.T.)’, as the fight against systemic corruption continues to be an urgent issue in Nigeria. The A-side features Armonica & MoBlack's impeccably executed and always respectful remix of the record where Fela denounced and directly attacked former Nigerian president General Obasanjo and Moshood Abjola, the CEO of Nigeria's largest national telecommunications conglomerate, I.T.T, and Decca Records. Their tribute to Fela brings a powerful and culturally relevant piece of music to the forefront of dance culture.

On the B-side is ‘Chagu’, where a powerful and evocative spoken word narration is provided by Sudanese-Canadian artist Emmanuel Jal, an actor, former child soldier and political activist. A collaboration between Emmanuel, MoBlack and Henrik Schwarz, both producers offer their own take on ‘Chagu’, with MoBlack opting for a classic afro-house rhythm and hypnotic percussion, while Henrik's crisp and harmonious signature makes his composition an infallible weapon for the dancefloor. Both versions by visionary producers, Henrik and MoBlack, are equally impactful, complementing the immediacy of Emmanuel's lyrics.