5 Key Facts About Fela Kuti’s Zombie Release Dates
- Zombie was first released in Nigeria in 1976 on Coconut Records.
- The UK release followed in 1977 on Creole Records.
- The album’s title track is a direct critique of the Nigerian military, using the metaphor of zombies to describe soldiers who blindly follow orders.
- The Nigerian government responded violently to the album, raiding Fela’s commune and killing his mother.
- Despite the controversy, Zombie became one of Fela Kuti’s most influential and commercially successful albums.