Photo courtesy of Fela Net

As the main anchor of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s watershed Africa 70 collective, bassist Franco Aboddy helped establish his iconic bandleader’s Afro-Beat artistry into a worldwide phenomenon which resonates to this day.

Plying repetitive Dorian mode-based passages (mostly written by Fela) which were borne of West African highlife, jazz, and funk ala James Brown, Aboddy’s warm tone and staccato articulation fortified the ensemble’s percussionists, horn section, dancers, and singers.

Franco on “Unnecessary Begging” https://youtu.be/I7ZY_r5RJJE

Note that Fela employed numerous bassists, including Maurice Ekpo, Francis Mbappe and Newke Atifoh.