The story of afrobeat legend fela kuti is now a highenergy broadway musical starring sahr ngaujah and directed by bill t. The oriental theatre will host the international touring musical from march 27april 15. Jones, the recipient of a prestigious macarthur genius grant and winner of two tony awards, has been named an irreplaceable treasure by the the dance heritage coalition. Too big for the screen with finding fela, documentary maker alex gibney tries to get his arms around a legend. Additional lyrics by jim lewis, james brown and bill t. Notably, the play has adopted fela kuti s music and lyrics in their musicals. Fela kuti was born on october 15, 1938 in abeokuta, nigeria, to parents who were political activists. Afrobeat pioneer fela kuti started out studying medicine in london, before turning to music and leaving it in a. All contemporary forms of black music, from funk to electronic, owe something to the irresistible groove of the afrobeat sound that he created. Religious and cultural syncretism in fela reading the broadway adaptation of the life of fela anikulapo kuti through bill t. Its all about creativity, transgression, rebellion, sensuality, history. Tristram kenton but he continued to work, and continues to do so today. The cast of fela which comes to shns curran theatre in november 2011 ran on.
Afrobeat pioneer fela kuti started out studying medicine in london, before turning to music and. The wingspan of fela kuti s influence transcends genres. There are interviews with kuti s biographer carlos moore and fela the musicals cowriter and choreographer, bill t. Meanwhile, readers of this column wont need to be told that the complete works of fela anikulapo kuti is da bomb, the least obscure object of desire of the year. Over a decade after his death, vindication has come to fela kuti, africas musical genius.
Perhaps you remember his best choreography win for spring awakening at the 2007 tony awards. By the 1990s, fela s musical output slowed, although his work continued to be reexamined and appreciated even more. Jones on fela kuti s nightclub, the shrine, in lagos, nigeria. Jones and tejumola olaniyan since its debut in 2008 at the eugene oneill. After their sunday night show was canceled because of a sudden outbreak of injuries, cast members of the broadway musical fela. The documentary fela kuti music is the weapon wit the afrobeat legend, political revolutionary, musician, composer and performer, mixes footage of fela anikulapo kuti performing at his shrine nightclub, interviews with the controversial musician, glimpses of life at his notsopalatial kalakuta republic compound, and scenes of lagos. In 1997, at the age of 58, fela kuti died from aidsrelated complications. More evidence that fela kuti was a fking genius the. The box set also contains the dvd documentary a slice of fela, which features live performances as a 52 page booklet with felas biography andalbum commentaries by chris may. Kuti s fight against the dictatorial nigerian government. Watch an exclusive behind the scenes rehearsal as lead choreographer, bill t. Listen free to fela kuti the best best of fela kuti lady, shakara and more. Fela anikulapo kuti 15 october 1938 2 august 1997, also professionally known as fela kuti, or simply fela, was a nigerian multiinstrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the afrobeat music genre and human rights activist. Obviously, this collection is for the hardcore kuti fan who doesn t already have everything.
More evidence that fela kuti was a fking genius by michael j. Jones will direct and choreograph the world premiere of fela. This indepth look at the man who created afrobeat a fusion of jazz, traditional west african rhythms, funk, highlife, and psychedelic rock brings audiences close to mr. It portrays kuti in the days when he was the target. Of course, jones was born in the united states, in florida, fourteen years after fela kuti was born in ogun state, nigeria. Director capricorn clark detailed the franklin influence in a statement about the visual.
Watch finding fela online stream full movie directv. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of africas most challenging and charismatic music. Jones act and fela employers enjoy same negligence standard. Jones and jim lewis, based on music and lyrics by the late nigerian singer fela kuti, with additional music by aaron johnson and jordan mclean and additional lyrics by jim lewis. Jones s choreography as well as for costumes and sound design. Jones, the political lion of modern dance, is the director and choreographer of fela. The fela kutiproject dropped from the sky said bill t. Overload felt like such a contrast between chaos and control that i wanted to find a subtle way to relay. Jones brings fela kuti to off broadway, and other culture highlights from this weeks new york by lane brown in this weeks magazine, rebecca milzoff talks to bill t.
Jones, turned this tale into a whirlwind musical with as much precision as swan lake and the torrent of energy that emerges from felas own music and lyrics wall street journal five stars out of five fela. He created a new musical movement, afrobeat, using that forum to express his revolutionary political opinions against the dictatorial nigerian government of the 1970s and 1980s. Ben brantley, new york times an ecstatic phenomenon. Fela anikulapo kuti, africa 70 fela anikulapo kuti, africa 70 international thief thief i. However, it should be noted that fela kuti was a nigerian multiinstrumentalist composer and musician. Before a performance of the number zombie, the musicals director and choreographer, bill t. Thus, by its incorporation of the fela statutory language, the jones act allows a seaman to recover if his employers negligence is the cause, in. Fela kuti s records in the early and middle 1980s contain some of the most directly scathing remarks ever put to disc notably, original suffer head, coffin for head of state, and authority stealing. Dec 21, 2012 jim lewis and the great choreographer, bill t. This new deluxe edition includes bonus rarities plus previously unreleased tracks. Afrobeat, his gift to the world, is now an international staple on his own uncompromising terms, social content intact. Jones, in the 2014 documentary finding fela, actually likened fela to. Finding fela tells the story of fela kutis life 1938 1997, his music, and.
The clip cuts between the musician during a dressing room interview decked out in a fela kuti tshirt and belting into a vintage microphone. Over a million fans flocked to his funeral to pay their respects to the chief of the shrine. Jones, and, associate choreographer, maija garcia direct the cast of fela in a rehearsal of the storming scene from. The 27disc setcomprising 26 cds and a dvd, packaged in a heavygauge cardboard box, using all 46 original albums front covers, and including extensive and authoritative liner.
Its available to watch on tv, online, tablets, phone. The tony award winner brings the life of fela kuti to the stage in an offbroadway musical. Shed your midweek blues with this excellent full length film of african funk magus fela kuti and band performing live at the glastonbury festival in 1984. But jones was the tenth of twelve children of migrant farmworkers, and lived his childhood in rural steuben county, along. Jones written by john rockwell, originally presented in 2010 when jones was bestowed with the kennedy center. Additional music by aaron johnson, jordan mclean, e. Afrobeat pioneer fela kuti started out studying medicine in london, before turning to music and leaving it in a much better place than it was when he. Fela anikulapo kuti, africa 70 international thief thief. Jones, that opened off broadway last year and just reopened, at the eugene oneill, begins with fela kuti, the father of afrobeat and, in the nineteenseventies, one of the most popular musicians in west africa, performing in. Jones, best leading actor in a musical for sahr ngaujah, and best featured actress in a musical for lillias white. Finding fela tells the story of fela kuti s life 1938 1997, his music, and his social and political importance. Jones has made his own mythology a central theme in his art, often using himself as subject to explore constraints of black machismo, the hypervisibility of black bodies, and the effects of a racialized history of violence on the self. Fela kuti on allmusic 1980 fela kutis records in the early and middle 1980s.
That said, given its exceptionally reasonable price tag a true bargain, it may appeal to others as well. From the smackedout rolling stones travelogue cocksucker blues, to house music history lesson pump up the volume, to a behindthescenes look at fleetwood mac, eric. It is based on events in the life of groundbreaking nigerian composer and activist fela anikulapo kuti. Jones and sahr ngaujah who plays fela kuti about the offbroadway production of fela. In 2008, an offbroadway production of kuti s life, entitled fela.
Coproducer shawn jayz carter, a consummate storyteller himself, praises its ability to capture. Associate choreographer and michigan native maija garcia tells host barton bund about the creation and the life of. Sep, 2010 free download of fela kutis zombie, third set of fela reissues out tomorrow september 14 september, 2010 drainu182 download, new release 0 tomorrow, september 14, knitting factory records will release the third set of fela reissues. Jones explores the controversial life and legacy of nigerian musical revolutionary fela kuti. Aug 10, 2011 watch an exclusive behind the scenes rehearsal as lead choreographer, bill t. Celebrates the father of afrobeat a new musical by choreographer bill t. An interview with choreographer and director bill t. The black president is a compilation by fela kuti released in 2000. Fela anikulapo kuti 15 october 1938 2 august 1997 was a nigerian singer, saxophonist, dancer and activist, famous for creating the musical genre afrobeat, a cross between african traditional music, jazz and funk. Watch this scene to see why audiences are dancing in. Featuring many of fela kuti s most captivating songs and bill t.
His mother was a feminist and anticolonialist, and his father was active in the nigerian teachers union. Studio album 18 compilation 2 remix 1 the best of fela kuti. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at. Finding fela tells the story of fela anikulapo kuti s life, his music, his social and political importance. Listen to fela kuti soundcloud is an audio platform that lets you listen to what you love and share the sounds you create 266 tracks. A look at the life and music of nigerian singer fela kuti.
Dvd includes segments from music is the weapon, the berlin jazz festival, teacher dont teach me nonsense, and interviews with bill t. Jones summons the force that was fela to the stage. The complete works of fela anikulapokuti contains an incredible 51 albums across 29 cds, spanning felas entire career. Stream tracks and playlists from fela kuti on your desktop or mobile device. Recorded six months after why black man dey suffer, and with tony allen, who had played with kuti since 1964, back on drums, shakara marked afrobeats transition from its foetal stage to something approaching fullgrown form. Fela anikulapo kuti the complete works of fela anikulapo. Royster spike lee praises it for its african booty shakin.
This bitch of a life by carlos moore, 41 42 began with a collaborative workshop between the afrobeat band antibalas and tony awardwinner bill t. The complete works of fela anikulapo kuti fela kuti. Jones exuberant choreography is the main reason to see this biomusical about afrobeat founder fela anikulapo kuti. He is known for his work on stillhere 1996, national theatre live. Following zanes death he produced some largescale theatrical. Religious and cultural syncretism in fela reading the. As a black, gay, hivpositive man, he is far more than a survivor. The documentary uses the broadway musical, which was directed by bill t. Jones, as a way to pose questions about felas constantly shifting. It portrays kuti in the days when he was the target of 1,000 government. Religious and cultural syncretism in fela reading the broadway.
Jones s imaginative staging, this new show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theater. Jones brings the life of fela kuti to off broadway. Watch finding fela starring yeni kuti in this documentary on directv. Directed, choreographed, cowritten and partially conceived by modern dance pioneer bill t. Fela kuti complete discography download torrent tpb. The complete works of fela anikulapo kuti fela kuti allmusic. Fela kuti is to african music what bob marley is to reggae. Is a new broadway musical about the nigerian bandleader fela anikulapo kuti who died of aids in 1997. Jones was born on february 15, 1952 in bunnell, florida, usa as william tass jones.
Ahmir questlove thomp son calls it a story for children as well as adults to hear. Talib kweli, bill t jones, m1 of dead prez, alabama shakes, wunmi, dele and a previously shared video from paul mccartney. The 70 minute film also features a candid interview where fela talks about discovering his african identity in postcolonial, racist england and how this eventually led to his involvement in nigerian politics. Jones and jim lewis, based on music and lyrics by the late nigerian singer fela kuti, with additional music by aaron. Press quotes there should be dancing in the streets. Download fela kuti mp3 songs and albums music downloads. Fela kuti live at glastonbury festival 1984 dangerous minds. Jones, gamely discussed fela anikulapo kuti, the shows subject, and.
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