After a storming 2022, Ezra Collective begin the new year in style by releasing their reinterpretation of the Fela Kuti track, “Lady”.
The six minute Afrobeat roller closely follows Ezra Collective’s widely acclaimed new album, ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’, released in November on Partisan Records.
Available digitally today, “Lady” will also be released physically this Friday (13th January) on yellow, 7” vinyl alongside a forthcoming 50th Anniversary reissue of Fela Kuti’s ‘Shakara’ album. The 7” also includes a second, equally special Ezra Collective reinterpretation of the LP’s title track, Shakara.
“When I was a child my Dad had a collection of Fela Kuti CDs he would play in the car; at the time I didn’t know who what it was, but I always knew it was my favourite music to listen to”, explains Ezra Collective’s bandleader and drummer, Femi Koleoso. “Fast forward two decades and nothing’s changed – Fela remains my musical hero and a foundational inspiration for Ezra Collective. From our very first gig we’ve been playing tribute to his music. To now be able to celebrate his legacy on a vinyl is a dream come true. Thank you to Kinetika Bloco for being a part of the horn section. The original remains unbeatable, but I hope this remix makes you dance as well.”
‘Lady’ follows as incredible few months for Ezra Collective that saw ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ reach #24 on the Official UK Albums Chart, the band play three celebratory back-to-back sold out shows at Ronnie Scott’s in London, perform live on Jonathan Ross’s New Year’s Eve show on ITV, and announce their biggest tour yet culminating in an already sold out hometown finale at Brixton Academy.
