Keji Hamilton & the Exousia Band
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Album:
Keji Released: January 2008
Tracks: Available from:
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Keji Hamiliton is a multi-instrumentalist who plays the keyboard,
guitar, saxophone, conga and drums; amongst several other
instruments. He is a master composer/arranger of the Jazz and
Afrobeat genres of music.
Keji was a key figure in Fela Kuti's Band, as a Guitarist and later
Keyboardist. His record credits with Fela include 'Beast of No
Nation', 'Overtake Overtake Overtake', 'Just Like That', 'Army
Arrangement' and 'Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense'. Keji had a very
close relationship with Fela and many fans of Fela would readily
remember Keji because he usually opened Fela's live performances.
Fela, in one of his hit tracks, made fond reference to Keji in the
popular refrain "kereke ji keke, yah." Keji is reputed to be one of
the few musicians that plays the 'authentic' traditional afrobeat
music at the level Fela established.
Keji currently heads the Exousia Band (a thirteen man band) and had
his 'return' concert on September 15 2007, at the Muson Center,
Onikan - Lagos, Nigeria.
Official website: http://www.myspace.com/kejihamilton
MOJO Magazine (June 2008): "This is Afrobeat much as Fela Kuti himself played it in the latter years of his career (...). The band is well drilled, the horns and backing vocals wonderful, but there is never the sense that everything is teetering on the verge of collapse. Which might be why Kuti had him around so long."
All tracks: copyright Keji Hamilton