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Energetic crowd awaits entry into the Atlanta Civic Center |
the legendary Nigerian musician-turned-activist whose soulful and stirring Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation. If you have never experienced live performance musical theater, FELA! rests the bar on the highest rung. In one word, my FELA! experience was 'dynamic'! FELA! is outstanding! Extreme passion! Vibrating basslines! Thrusting horn sections! Contagious energy! Infectious movement! Crowd engagement! The musings of an African Renaissance! It is no wonder that when I arrived to The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center for Atlanta, GA's October 11th opening night, I was met by a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd that was also anxiously awaiting the viewing of the phenomenon that rocked Broadway with anastounding eleven 2010 Tony Award nominations3! My anticipation was magnified because Sahr Ngaujah (Fela Anikulapo-Kuti), has been a long-time favorite of mine since his days of performing as Fela Kuti around town in Atlanta, GA with the musical backings of Mausiki Scales & The Common Ground Collective. (http://www.facebook.com/mausikiscales)
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Ensemble photo provided by It Is Done Communications c/o Linda Stewart. |
ensemble photo Sahr Ngaujah and Paulette Ivory. Photo by Tristram Kenton. |
Sahr Ngaujah flanked by members of the dance ensemble. Photo provided by It Is Done Communications c/o Linda Stewart. |
Upon sitting (seat 1, row 1 to add to my excitement) I was immediately embraced with the sounds of native "tinker pan" West African-style percussion musical instruments. A member of the cast ensemble set the tone of what we would experience for the next two hours and twenty minutes and performed in the background as guests found their seats. At the show's start, the stage was immediately engulfed with colorful hues of lighting, video screens, tribal face paint, colorful costume stylings, Nigerian choreography, and most prominently, endless AFROBEAT grooves and funky sounds from a cast of talented live percussionists, trumpeters, and notable baritone saxophones! FELA! is musical theater at its finest!
"Originality no Artificiality!" Sahr Ngaujah was Fela Kuti! Ngaujah's intensity and high energy story narrations made our transition into the life and storyline of one of Africa's most controversial musicians effortless. We were instantly transported through his life in the early '70's into stories about his education in Britain and the United States where he fell in love with musical greats such as James Brown, John Coltrane, Nina Simone, and Frank Sinatra. With fluid transition, the audience became immersed into African rhythms and Ghanaian highlife before closing with stories of Kuti's harassing moments and Nigeria government imprisonment.
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Ensemble dancer Poundo ÒSWEETÓ Gomis (left) and the dance ensemble were magnetic. Photo provided by ZDennis Media Group. |
Fela's creative, social trials and tribulations, and lyrics easily correlate with thoughts surrounding the politically
consciousness of the early hip-hop movement. It is no surprise that Jay-Z along with Jada and Will Smith were major financiers of this project. Kuti was a pioneer and this live theatrical production shook the entire Civic Center upon its visit. FELA! is a must-see! Sahr Ngaujah and the cast of FELA! have done us proud!
For more information or tickets to see the show, FELA! is touring to a city near you. (http://felaonbroadway.com/world-tour.php)
Sidebar: Never heard any of Fela Kuti's music? Well, you're in luck. In 2010, New York's Knitting Factory Records (http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com) began releasing remastered editions of Fela Kuti's entire catalog
ARTICLE FOOTNOTES:
1FELA! was produced by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, along with Ruth & Stephen
Hendel, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Edward Tyler Nahem, Slava Smolokowski, Chip Meyrelles/Ken
Greiner, Roy Gabay.Douglas G. Smith, Steve Semlitz/Cathy Glaser, Daryl Roth/True Love Productions,
Susan Dietz/Mort Swinsky and Knitting Factory Entertainment.
2Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997) was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician
and composer, a pioneer of Afrobeat music, a human rights activist and a political maverick. He is
ranked among the world's most influential musicians. If you like soul-stirring rhythms, compelling real-
life stories and passionate choreography, you will love FELA!
3FELA! received 11 Tony Award(r) nominations, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best
Choreography, Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Book of a
Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound
Design, winning in three categories: Best Choreography, Best Costume Design of a Musical and Best
Sound Design of a Musical.
