Fela Kuti: 'Zombie' reissued in 1,000 copies for its 50th anniversary, on the eve of Felabration

Fifty years after they were recorded, two major albums by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti are returning on vinyl. The label Partisan Records put an anniversary edition of 'Zombie' on sale on October 9, 2026, pressed in only one thousand copies, reported the pan-African media outlet OkayAfrica on October 8. 'Expensive Shit' will follow on November 20.

The cover for 'Zombie' was entrusted to American designer Tremaine Emory, founder of the brand Denim Tears, who kept the tribute to Lemi Ghariokwu's original artwork while adding photographs of the New Afrika Shrine by Bolaji Alonge. A t-shirt accompanies the release. Emory said in a statement that the work was an 'honor' for him.

'Expensive Shit' will be released on gold vinyl in a tri-fold sleeve designed by Tarin Karimbux, blending the original cover with previously unpublished shots by Femi Bankole Osunla and John Collins, all tucked into an envelope containing a poster, a print, and a press clipping.

A song that cost its author dearly

'Zombie' is not a record like any other. Its title track takes direct aim at the Nigerian government and its soldiers, OkayAfrica recalls: the word 'zombie' refers to the soldier who obeys without thinking. The price paid by the artist was heavy. The first Afrika Shrine, opened by Fela in 1970, burned down in 1977, according to Rio Times Online.

Fela Kuti died on August 2, 1997, at the age of 58. He has since been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy for his lifetime achievement, becoming the first African artist to receive this distinction.

Lagos prepares for Felabration

These reissues arrive a few days before Felabration, the week of concerts and debates organized in Lagos around the birthday of the musician, who was born on October 15, 1938. The festival was created in 1998 by his eldest daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, who runs the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja with her brother Femi. The 2026 edition is announced for October 12 to 18, according to Rio Times Online, which specified in mid-September that the official program had not yet been confirmed. Past editions have featured symposiums, high school debates, exhibitions, dance and fashion competitions, and a street carnival, with most of the evening events remaining free.

One question remains that the celebration will not resolve: the catalog of the man who turned Afrobeat into a political weapon is now sold in limited series from the West, while the Shrine continues to open its doors in Ikeja.