Legend Stevie Wonder, Kanye, and Nas have all stopped byFELA! on tour in the past weeks and hung with the cast backstage. What they had to say about the show? Nas: “very important work.” Yeezy: “inspiring” (he also invited the entire cast to a Watch The Throne show). Stevie Wonder – oh, just harmonized with Fela dancer Jacqui Dubois on an acapella ditty (see below). The tour, now in Los Angeles until January 22, is headed next to Detroit (get ready to shake it Motor City!). Get tix here.
BBC Radio 6 is now airing The Afrobeat Revolutionary, a documentary on musical pioneer, political activist and all-around icon Fela Kuti. The program, narrated by Neneh Cherry, draws on recollections from Fela’s closest friends, family and “star” fans including Seun Kuti, Tony Allen, and Damon Albarn. Stream Afrobeat Revolutionary in its entirety below.
For our West Coasters: catch FELA! the musical in San Francisco up ’til Dec. 11 and Los Angeles starting Dec. 14. Grab tickets here and follow/add FELA! for updates on the show’s upcoming stops!
FELA! the musical hits San Francisco’s Curran Theatre this Tuesday, Nov 15. Directed by the legendary Bill T. Jones, FELA! is a hybrid of theatre, dance, and music that tells the tale of Fela Kuti’s life. It was produced in association with Jay-Z, ?uestlove, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, and Ruth and Stephen Hendel among others.
The production nabbed three Tony Awards in 2010 for Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Choreography. For a limited time you can snag $39 tickets to select show dates. See all details in the flyer below and watch a clip of Toronto’s opening night above!
For years, the late Fela Kuti used Afrobeat to speak out against the government in Nigeria. Now his sons, Femiand Seun Kuti, are 4th generation musicians with their own political message. Leading up to his recent performance in London with members of his father’s band, Seun stopped to speak at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) with professor and BBC Presenter, Lucy Duran and Stephen Chan (whole discussion in the video above). The conversation began with a recording of Seun’s great grandfather, Reverend J.J. Ransome-Kuti, in Britain in 1922 singing a hymn. It was the first musical recording of its kind for release in West Africa. When the recording ended, Seun laughed and said, “My dad didn’t have much love for this music.”
Reminiscing about his father, Seun laughed a lot. He explained that his family required music, and was strict about practice. His father was beaten if he didn’t practice, but Fela never had to hit Seun. “It’s Fela. He doesn’t have to beat you. He just opens his eyes!”
Not only are the Kutis known for their music, but various members of the family became other important figures. Seun’s grandmother was one of Africa’s first women’s rights fighters until she was assassinated. Seun added, “In the Kuti family, we always try to be the best at everything.”
The discussion soon turned to Seun’s message: “I am a revolutionary first, and a musician second…if I had to choose one or the other, that is.” Yet, Seun explained he is not the revolutionary his father was. At some point Seun realized that Africa is being affected by external forces more than by internal forces. He went on to list multinational corporations like oil companies and global institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and UN as culprits.
Seun’s music is still about Nigeria, and resonates with the people there, but he blames the outside world for keeping Africa down. Seun’s latest album, From Africa with Fury: Rise, calls for Africa to take control back. “We have to bring empathy back…no one has started a genuine fight for the people.”
The rest of the hour-long discussion talked about issues ranging from the education system in Nigeria, to corruption in the country. The young Kuti, 28, has formulated his opionions and is using his music to share it. “I want my people to feel me, but I want the world to understand me,” he said, proving that the revolutionary musician lives on.
Nollywood star Baba Suwe (above, in white) was arrested mid-October at Lagos airport by anti-narcotics agents claiming x-ray scans showed images “consistent with large amount of drug ingestion”. The accusation lead to a three-week spectacle in which Nigerian officials, and the entire country, kept tabs on the detained Suwe’s bowel movements — looking out for discharged bags of cocaine. The bags never came.
The ordeal recalls the infamous incident in which Fela Kuti swallowed a joint planted on him by Nigerian police, who then awaited for the afrobeat pioneer to produce the excrement. Popular opinion has it that Fela somehow used another inmate’s feces to beat the charge. Other, more superstitious. specators believe both him and Baba Suwe invoked the same powerful juju. The event inspired Fela’s legendary 1975 Expensive Shit LP.
Our friend Siji, filmmaker behind the Nigerian music documentary Elder’s Coner, put together this video tribute to afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti as an ode to the man’s birthday last Saturday, October 15. Fela would’ve turned 73. In Siji’s own words:
Fela meant many things to those who knew him both up close and from afar. To some he was a rebel, rabble-rouser, lady killer, human rights activist, musical pioneer, GENIUS! His music and philosophies continue to inspire and astound listeners many years after his untimely passing. Here’s what a few of his many peers and admirers [including Roy Ayres, Rich Medina, Osunlade, and Wunmi] had to say about the man, his myth and of course, his music.
You can still lend your support to the historical documentary on Nigerian music Elder’s Corner over at their Kickstarter.
“Jump N Funk,” the original Fela tribute party is taking place this Saturday at The Front at The Vanguard in Los Angeles. Destroyer gets the party started and DJ Rich Medina takes it through the night. In the battle of the coasts, the west is certainly going to be the best this weekend.
The party is from 9pm to 2am, 21+ $10 BEFORE 11:30pm RSVP on Facebook. The inside scoop: if you mention to the parking attendant that you’re there for the Jump N Funk Party you’ll get a reduced parking price.
Gummy Soul artist Amerigo Gazaway put together two towering greats in this 8-track, 33 minute, blend of afrobeat rhythms and hip-hop gems. The Nashville-based producer handpicked dozens of samples from Fela Kuti‘s illustrious catalog and combined them with 8 acapellas that span over a decade of De La Soul classics.
Watch a found-footage preview clip for Fela Soul above, stream and download the album in its entirety below. Redman, MF Doom, and Gorillaz also made the cut. Pretty dope hearing the L.I. trio’s raps over Fela’s sax and Tony Allen beats. For more head over to Gummy Soul.
Check out this exclusive interview with Nigerian artist TeeKlef conducted by Klef Records. With a series of bangin remixes including a remake of “Oleku,” the R&B rapper and producer is influenced by a wide array of artists from Sade to Linkin Park to Fela Kuti. His music is real, relatable, and true. What does hip-hop mean to TeeKlef? What motivates him? How does he view his fans? What’s he working on now? Watch the video to find out for yourself. And don’t forget to listen to his EP, On a C-Rius Note, which you can download FREE right here.
Last night Beyonce made a visit to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Check out the interview, above, where Yonce reveals that she was heavily influenced by Fela Kuti (we know she loved the Broadway hit FELA!, which her hubby Jay Z co-produced) and Africa in general for her latest album, 4. Then peep the performance vid, below, where B is backed up by the Legendary Roots Crew for a stunning version of “Best Thing I Never Had.”
Holy hell. Do I really have to tell you anything other than what’s in the header to sell this one? Last night Beyonce joined the baddest MFs in late night on Jimmy Fallon for a rendition of her single “Best Thing I Never Had” which is proof that this woman can sing just about anything (‘suck to be you right now’) and give it the emotional weight of the Dream Girls finale. I’ll just add that Questlove gets the big bucks not because he’s the greatest drummer technically. He makes the big bucks cause he is the greatest drummer technically who can still think about time-signatures while Beyonce Knowles is writhing around and choking the soul out of a mic a few short feet away. Check out that game-face. If that was me you would be able to read my lips saying “look at the drums, look at the drums.” Beyonce’s LP 4 is in stores now.
Fela Kuti, Africa’s musical genius, is the father of Afrobeat, a cross-breeding of Funk, Jazz, Salsa and Calypso with Juju, Highlife and African percussive patterns. To him it was a political weapon that he used to excoriate Nigeria’s corrupt politicians, ruling-class elite, mindless military, and the colonial masters. Today, through the re-release of his entire catalog, the Broadway musical FELA! based on his life, and an upcoming film, he is finally getting his due.
The FELA! Tour Has Gone Hip-Hop
Legend Stevie Wonder, Kanye, and Nas have all stopped by FELA! on tour in the past weeks and hung with the cast backstage. What they had to say about the show? Nas: “very important work.” Yeezy: “inspiring” (he also invited the entire cast to a Watch The Throne show). Stevie Wonder – oh, just harmonized with Fela dancer Jacqui Dubois on an acapella ditty (see below). The tour, now in Los Angeles until January 22, is headed next to Detroit (get ready to shake it Motor City!). Get tix here.