Abstract: Criticism is like a lens use to read any literature. According to Jonathan Culler, criticism is defined as the general account of the work of literature and of the methods of analyzing it.
Zombie is a studio album by Nigerian Afro-American musician Fela Kuti . It was released in Nigeria by Coconut Records in 1976, and in the United Kingdom by Creole Records in 1977. [1]
Fela Anikulapo Kuti is a political critic, afro-beat musician. Whose song (Zombie) can be classified as a poem. Before it was sung, the lyrics of the song is figuratively written and the imagery used pictures what he (Fela) refers to as "Zombie".
The album criticised the Nigerian government; and it is thought to have resulted in the murder
of Kuti's mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti , and the destruction of his commune by the military.
of Kuti's mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti , and the destruction of his commune by the military.
Critical reception
In a 1981 review, music critic Robert Christmas gave the album an "Aâ��" and found Kuti's English lyrics to be "very political" and "associative". He said that Kuti records "real fusion music â if James Brown 's stuff is Afro-American, his is
American-African." [2] In a retrospective review, Allmusic 's Sam Samuelson gave Zombie four-and- a-half out of five stars and called it Kuti and Africa 70's "most popular and impacting record".
In a 1981 review, music critic Robert Christmas gave the album an "Aâ��" and found Kuti's English lyrics to be "very political" and "associative". He said that Kuti records "real fusion music â if James Brown 's stuff is Afro-American, his is
American-African." [2] In a retrospective review, Allmusic 's Sam Samuelson gave Zombie four-and- a-half out of five stars and called it Kuti and Africa 70's "most popular and impacting record".
The political critic follows Marxists theory to criticize the then government which was dominated by Nigerian army,under the leadership of the Head of State (Olusegun Obasanjo). Karl Marx Marxists theory States that without the infrastructure, the superstructure can't stand.
The lyrics is gifted with figures of speech. The use of repetition, alliteration, and many more. The language used is highly political, associative,and simple for an illiterate to comprehend.
The political critic is not only criticizing the then military government; it lambasted the irrational, dehumanizing, voiceless lives they live. All they do is follow the generals who are interested in plotting coup against either the Head of State or president.
This he also pointed at in his "Beast of no nation"_ Fela. He classified them to be a Beast. And the country is a regardless nation.
The afro-beat artist used his artistic intelligence to picture the soldiers as" Zombie" that is always controlled, speechless, not opportune to question the cause of the action.
© Taiwo Daniel
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