Seun Kuti

It's 1978, you're at an all-night outdoor party, perched in a tree near the stage and watching Fela Kuti work the audience into trance. Remember that? Probably not. So Seun Kuti might just be the next best thing. Ten years of playing with Egypt 80 have made this kid a walking encyclopedia of Fela, so that even his original songs bear the weight of Fela's invisible hand, though Seun's lanky, charismatic leadership (and gruff voice) turns this into his own gig. This accomplished debut has proved Seun can keep his father's flame alive; the next album might (finally) tinker with the legacy.