I had heard it said many times that the closest you will get to seeing a Fela Kuti show is by watching his son, Seun Kuti. I took the opportunity when he toured with members of Fela's original band, The Egypt 80 earlier in the year. The show was a visual and aural feast, mindblowing and probably one of the most memorable gigs ever for me.
Now is the turn for Fela!
This broadway show has been playing at the National theatre since Nov and runs until Feb. It charts the life and death of one of musics's most important ambassadors.
Fela Ransome Kuti took further education in England, later, inspired by the black radical movement in America he changed his slave name to Fela Anikulapo Kuti and returned to Nigeria as a musical aggitator, to take on the might of a corrupt government. Afrobeat was invented by Fela Kuti and he took on James Brown inspired funk rhythms and merged them with Jazz and African highlife, to give us music, which i feel is as equally as important as any of James Brown's productions.
I am off to catch the show on Fri night, i have been told it is pretty special.
As well as listening to amazing and inspired tunes, you really should give yourself the opportunity of learning a very important musical history lesson.
Get tickets and info here *
