Strange how music trends seem to go around in circles. Since spearheading the world music boom at the end of the '80s, African music sales have been on a downward spiral for much of this decade. Now in the form of Afrobeat, the music is making a strong comeback and sweeping dance floors around the world.

Together with the highlife sound of King Sunny Ade, it was Afrobeat back in the '70s that spawned the first wave of interest in the sounds of Africa through its instigator, Fela Kuti. Fela (as he was simply and affectionately called) united jazz and highlife, and replaced American R&B with classical African rhythms, returning the funk of James Brown to Africa. Combining the stage charisma of Bob Marley, the political vitriol of Pete Seeger and the rhythm sense of Prince, for three decades Nigeria's self-proclaimed black president waged a cultural war against the establishment.

It's completely fitting that now, being championed as the new "King of Afrobeat," should be none other than Fela's eldest son, Femi Kuti. He gave this interview in Tokyo Aug. 2, the day after his appearance at the Fuji Rock Festival and two years to the day after Fela died in Lagos of an AIDS-related illness.

Fela has always maintained a passionate fan base in Japan. Indeed, for several years many of his albums were exclusively reissued here on CD. Fela's death seemed to renew interest in him and Afrobeat elsewhere, with much of Fela's extensive back catalog being available this year through vinyl box sets and CD releases.

By Femi's own admission, the transmission of the Afrobeat legacy from father to son has not been easy. Fela would force his son to listen to jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

"When I first heard them I didn't like them," Femi said. "It was like taking Nivaquine, this very bitter tablet for malaria, but my father kept saying if you want to play music you better listen to jazz."

At age 15, Femi joined his father's band. "I played with him for six years, but after I left, we didn't speak for another five years, because he was annoyed. He wanted me to stay with him for longer, maybe forever."

Femi went on to form his own band, Positive Force. "I refused to take anyone from his band because it would look like I was taking his musicians away, which wasn't my plan. I just wanted to leave for my own future and my own career."

Over the ensuing years, though, Femi found himself playing to just a handful of Nigerians. It didn't help that his father also publicly denounced Femi's music. In 1995, however, with the release of his third album, "Wonder Wonder," Fela and Nigerians relented, and Femi finally began to move out of his father's shadow.

With his latest album, "Shoki Shoki," Femi has finally earned international recognition. These days Femi Kuti finds himself being interviewed by major media and touring extensively.

Did Fela's death somehow free or inspire him to achieve greater things? "Not really, I was just going down my road, and when his death came, it was like someone came and plonked something down in front of me and said, 'OK, carry this along with you', so I now have to be very strong."

In addition to his father's charisma, good looks and wit, Femi has also inherited Fela's political awareness, evident on songs such as "Truth Don Die" or "Blackman Know Yourself." Femi has even formed his own political organization, Movement Against Second Slavery (MASS).

"I started MASS to redirect the energy of the youth of Africa into a positive direction, because the youths are getting agitated and the only solution they find for their problem is violence," he explained. "It's aimed at bringing awareness for the African people to really sit down and understand their problems, and to really believe in themselves again, to believe in their culture, their heritage and tradition, for Africans to think about their own technology, and medicine and contribute positively to political views and world political solutions.

"If you look at Africa now we're a completely irrelevant continent in world affairs, which is very unfair and sad."

While Femi won't be touring Japan this month, the spirit of Afrobeat is sure to be present at the all-night African Vibes session Oct. 9 at Tokyo's Cay.

The live act, Mali's Habib Koite and Bamada, in contrast to the raw energy of Femi Kuti and Positive Force, is unlikely to set the dance floor alight, but is sure to provide excellent chill-out material.

In Japan earlier this year for a promotional visit, Koite has made a rapid return this time with band in tow. He is certainly one of the most absorbing musicians to emerge from Mali in the '90s. For a country that is fairly brimming with an amazing assortment of musicians, that is saying something.

Koite's music veers toward reflective, gentle and semi-acoustic interpretations of Malian ethnic styles, with hints of blues and other Western forms. He writes all his own material, sings with an intimate and smoky voice and finger-picks his guitar in a style all his own.

His five-piece band performs on several kinds of traditional instruments such as balafon (xylophone), kamele n'goni (hunter's harp) and talking drum, as well as electric bass and drums. All combine to produce music with a decidedly contemporary feel, with Koite's lyrics usually sending out a poignant social message. With a style that starkly contrasts the grandiose ones of other Malian griots, Koite is considered one of the brightest hopes in African music.