Felabration 2013

Felabration is our annual festival of music and arts commemorating the life and times of Nigerian’s foremost musical icon, the late great Fela Anikulakpo Kuti. As a music brand, its revered and highly influential.

The idea and concept of Felabration as an annual celebration of Fela’s music, life and times, originated from his eldest child Yeni who conceived it in 1998. With the exception of 1999, Felabration has taken place yearly. Currently Felabration, organized by the Felabration Organising Committee has grown into a mega week-long musical event in Nigeria which attracts thousands of visitors annually to the New Africa Shrine from all over the world and is an official tourist destination of The Lagos State Government who are major sponsors of the event.

THIS YEAR PROGRAM 

Senior Secondary Schools Debate

•     Topic: ‘Should the heroes be celebrated in their life time’
•     Venue: Freedom Park, 1 Hospital Road, opp St Nicholas Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos
•     Date: 8th October 2013
•     MC: Teju Babyface
•     Featuring 5 State owned and 5 Private schools in Lagos State

The Fela Debates

•     Topic: "Movement of the People"- The Fela & Bob Marley Perspective.
•     Date: Monday, 14th October, 2013.
•     Time: 11am.
•     Venue: NECA Hall, Hakeem Balogun Road, Central Business Distruct, Alausa. Ikeja.
•     Speakers: Nana Rita Marley, Prof. John Collins, Vivien Goldman, Prof. Sola Olorunyomi
•     Chairman/Moderator: Femi Falana (SAN)

Musical Concerts

•     Venue: New Africa Shrine
•     Date: 15th - 20th October 2013
•     MC: Omobaba No 1

    Proposed Artists include the Marley Family, the Kuti Family, Akon, major Nigerian artists and young and upcoming talent

Carnival

•     Venue: the Ikeja vicinity of Lagos State
•     Date: 19th October 2013
•     Featuring the rich Nigerian and African cultures

Fela Week Partners

    Celebrating Fela in various outlets pan Nigeria



By the FOC
August 2013

Red Hot + Fela

Red Hot + Fela will be released on Knitting Factory Records on October 8th, 2013.

Fela Kuti never shied away from politics in his music, and neither does Baloji on his cover of the pioneering Nigerian musician’s song “Buy Africa."

Fela Kuti lives on. Since his death in 1997, he’s been transformed from musician’s musician with a cult-like following to a worldwide musical icon. 
The last four years have seen the Broadway hit FELA! win Tony Awards and tour the world, Knitting Factory Records reissue the prolific Nigerian firebrand’s back catalogue, and now, Red Hot + Fela.

Red Hot is an AIDS awareness organization currently partnering with cross-genre collaborators representing rock, hip-hop, Americana, and classical for a forthcoming album release of Fela Kuti compositions, Red Hot + Fela (Knitting Factory, October 8, 2013 ).
 The release includes classic Fela anthems like “Lady” recorded by tUnE-yArDs, Questlove, Angelique Kidjo, and Akua Naru, “Zombie” recorded by Spoek Mathambo, Cerebral Cortex, and Frown, and “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am” recorded by My Morning Jacket, Merrill Garbus (from tUnE-yArDs), and Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes) and “Sorrow, Tears & Blood” reworked by the Kronos Quartet along with TV On The Radios’ Kyp Malone and Tune Adembimpe.

The partnership between KFR and Red Hot is particularly relevant to Fela Kuti, given that he died of an AIDS-related illness himself. To date, Red Hot has released 18 albums and produced several concert and film series to raise money and awareness to fight AIDS around the world. They have partnered with countless local, national, and international AIDS organizations, all of whom have benefited from releases like Red Hot + Fela.

If you are interested in promoting a Felabration in your hometown in honor Fela Kuti's 75th birthday on October 15, 2013 please e-mail: felabration2013@gmail.com