Liner notes:

“V.I.P. (Vagabonds in Power)”
In the midst of their troubles in 1978, Fela and Afrika 70 were invited to headline the Berlin Jazz Festival. The gig was a godsend, providing the Afrika 70 organization with the money they couldn’t raise in Nigeria - where they had been banned from performing for over a year - or in Ghana - from which they had recently been expelled by military President Ignatius Acheampong, after dissident students adopted Fela’s “Zombie” as a rallying cry. Instead of performing his old hits, Fela opened the show with the political and controversial “V.I.P.,” which explored the class divisions in Nigeria, dismissing the country’s rulers and elite class as “vagabonds” who had no empathy for the country’s struggling masses.

Fela was later criticized by some Nigerians who felt he had disgraced their country by openly abusing its leaders in front of a European audience, especially as the concert was televised throughout several European countries. And after 10 years of great music, most of the Afrika 70 band quit after the show, when they learned that Fela planned to use most of the concert proceeds to finance his presidential campaign in the upcoming Nigerian elections (his candidacy was later disqualified by election authorities). Thus, the live recording of “V.I.P.” was the last song cut by the great Afrika 70 band (the rest of the concert has never been released).

Despite the controversy and the fact that it was banned in Nigeria, “V.I.P.” - powered by the counterpoint between the slashing rhythm guitar figure and the surging bass line - was a hit when released at the beginning of 1979, showing that Fela had lost none of his creative powers as a result of his recent tragedies.
(Michael E. Veal)

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