The rediscovery of Fela was one of the major musical events of the 2000s. Box sets, reissues, club nights, west end musicals and general canonisation made the founding father of Afrobeat relevant to the breakbeat generation that was not alive to attend any of his legendary marathon concerts. The fact that this six-album package is curated by high- profile actor Idris Elba, following on from previous editions helmed by such as Erykah Badu and Brian Eno, spells celebrity endorsement of the most emphatic kind, and it is easy to sneer as a result. And yet, the music is so groundbreaking that not even this kind of straight for the jugular marketing can compromise it.

Spanning the early 1970s to the mid 80s - what is to all intents and purposes the golden age of Fela’s long, eventful career – the package has classic albums such as Open And Close, Stalemate, Opposite People and I Go Shout Plenty. They are an emphatic reminder of the unique blend of rhythmic aggression and symphonic ambition that made Fela’s songbook so memorable, not to mention the political charge of his lyrics. With that in mind, Music Of Many Colours, the thrilling 1980 collaboration with American vibraphone legend Roy Ayers glows vividly with the prospect of Afro Diasporan self-realisation, particularly on the mesmerising post-disco anthem ‘2000 Black.’ You may have heard it all before but there are far worse things to hear again.

As we move further away from Fela’s heyday and the world continues to perpetrate the kind of cruel oppression he sought to chant down, any opportunity to refresh our understanding of his legacy is always welcome.