You are already down with Fela Kuti, correct?
If not, you may want to remedy that, STAT.
Seriously, you gotta get this into your life.
You may have heard that Fela is now on Broadway. No really.
I’m not sure what to make of a musical celebrating the life of this great man, but regardless of its ultimate artistic merit, if it brings some western ears to Fela’s music, that could only be a positive development.
Fela was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of his time in many ways, and in his prime he was equal parts Nelson Mandela, James Brown and Bob Marley (if you think that is hyperbole, track down the ’69 Los Angeles Sessions and/or read a little about the beatings and imprisonment he endured, resulting from his repeated defiance of the powers-that-be). We could do worse, given the current state of affairs, to pay overdue attention to an artist who decried the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of many (Put another way, 1969 is 1979 is 2009: Fela’s music is timeless, in no small measure because the injustices he decried remain alive and unwell). Sure, that sounds pretty cliche; but then, so does the notion that we tolerate systemized inequity, enabling the military, the churches and the Wall Street cretins to call the shots.
Fela, “Yanga Wake Am” circa 1972:
Baaba Maal and Taj Mahal, from the remarkable –and recommended– Fela Kuti tribute Red, Hot & Riot:
