Fela Kuti and More of Rock's Biggest Rebels

Fela Kuti, the Nigerian musician who defined Afrobeat, influenced everyone from Paul McCartney to Michael Jackson. Now, with Finding Fela, Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie) sheds new light on the politically fiery artist with never before seen footage and documents, including Kuti's report card (there's a reason he wasn't a doctor like his brothers). By framing the biography of the musician (Kuti who died from AIDS-related complications in 1997) through rehearsals for Bill T. Jones' Tony-winning musical Fela!, Gibney presents two stories in one – the staging of a complicated production and the life of a dissident legend.

Fela Kuti and More of Rock's Biggest Rebels

"One of the things that makes Fela a glorious character is that he was deeply contradictory," Gibney says, sitting on a bench in Park City, Utah, following a screening of the film at the Sundance Film Festival. "He was flawed and also magnificent. That's what makes him interesting."

Broadway producer Stephen Hendel approached the prolific filmmaker while prepping his musical for an overseas run in Nigeria. "The documentary set out to be, 'How do you take a show like this – which is the epitome of the first world – to the third world where it originated?'" Gibney says. Gradually, he says, the life of the artist became the story.

Learn the Story Behind Fela Kuti's "Zombie"

Culled from more than 1,200 hours of new footage, the narrative follows Kuti from his bourgeois childhood to his discovery of music, women and mysticism. It also traces his massive musical, political and emotional contribution to the landscape of sub-Saharan Africa. The film pairs dress rehearsals, backstage brainstorming and concert footage with interviews from several Kuti kids as well as Questlove, Africa '70 bandleader Tony Allen and McCartney, who visited the musician while recording Band on the Run in Lagos. By digging into the core of Kuti, Gibney offers deeper context for his sound as well as his treatment of women and bizarre behavior, which included adopting the guru Dr. Hindu.


"The motivation was to make America aware of this amazing artist's story," Hendel says. "It's one of the great stories of sacrifice for your art, and music as the weapon."


By Katie Van Syckle
January 24, 2014 4:25 PM ET

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

UNVEILING ISEDALE AFRICA PROJECT

The ISEDALE AFRICA PROJECT is a socio cultural organization, out to promote the culture and tradition of the Yorubas and the African continent, through Music, Dance and Creative Art.
The project runs an eighteen man band and a dance troupe, called ISEDALE & Di COWRIES led by a highly talented artiest by name; OLALEKAN OKANLAWON aka “ISEDALE” the band consist of trained musicians from Peter King College of music and traditionally trained percussionist on Bata, Gangan, Agogo etc.
ISEDALE & Di COWRIES plays a genre of music that consist of Traditional African Folks (TAF) and a fusion of Jazz, with spectacular dance performance by the dance troupe.

The band have since performed at the French Cultural Center Lagos, the Osun Osogbo festival Osogbo, guest artist at the YOMAFA award night organized by the Lagos Television in conjunction with Leo Gold Productions and 3 editions of FELABRATION.

The project will be unveiled on the 2^nd of December this year and the debut album of Olalekan Okanlawon aka ISEDALE will be launched on the same day 

@ the Blue Ribbon event center No. 15 Olayiwola street new Oko Oba, Abule Egba Lagos.

Red Carpet starts by 2:00 pm prompt

Admittance is by Ankara

For your Ankara call: Keye 07065562187 or Lekan 08024555775

Click here for more information

Felabration 2012

The organizers have announced plans for this year’s edition of the annual Felabration music festival in honour of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

The festival which celebrates the life and times of the late music icon, multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afro- beat music, human rights activist, and political maverick, Fela Anikulapo Kuti is tagged ‘Africa, Centre of the World‘.

We have been told it will take a new shape this year as organizers have planned a list of scheduled events.

This year’s Felabration will kick off with the usual symposium ‘The Fela Debates’ themed ‘Corruption and the Generation Next’ and will hold on Monday, October 15, 2012, Fela’s birthday.

The symposium will feature as guest speakers Michael Veal, Seffi Attah, Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Carlos Moore, Donald Duke, Ben Murray Bruce and a host of others.

This symposium will be followed by a debate for senior secondary schools students themed ‘Social Media in Africa; Good or Bad’ which will take place on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

The multi-headliner music concert featuring artistes from all parts of world will hold from Tuesday, October 16 to Sunday, October 22, 2012.

Femi and Seun Kuti missed out from last year’s Felabration as they were on tour. Fans will be looking out most especially for their performances this year.The organisers have announced plans for this year’s edition of the annual Felabration music festival in honour of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

The festival which celebrates the life and times of the late music icon, multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afro- beat music, human rights activist, and political maverick, Fela Anikulapo Kuti is tagged ‘Africa, Centre of the World‘.

Weve been told it will take a new shape this year as organizers have planned a list of scheduled events.

This year’s Felabration will kick off with the usual symposium ‘The Fela Debates’ themed ‘Corruption and the Generation Next’ and will hold on Monday, October 15, 2012, Fela’s birthday.

The symposium will feature as guest speakers Michael Veal, Seffi Attah, Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Carlos Moore, Donald Duke, Ben Murray Bruce and a host of others.

This symposium will be followed by a debate for senior secondary schools students themed ‘Social Media in Africa; Good or Bad’ which will take place on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

The multi-headliner music concert featuring artistes from all parts of world will hold from Tuesday, October 16 to Sunday, October 22, 2012.

Femi and Seun Kuti missed out from last year’s Felabration as they were on tour. Fans will be looking out most especially for their performances this year.

FELA IN PLAY

The rise of Afrobeats

It's the new sound of the UK underground, reworking the African pop of Fela Kuti for kids reared on grime, hip-hop and funky house. With stars like Kanye West wanting in, just how big will it get?
As London ushered in its Olympic year at midnight on 31 December, the official fireworks playlist blaring out over the Thames moved predictably through Vangelis, Soft Cell, Shirley Bassey and Adele. But it was accompanied by one less obvious choice: D'Banj's Oliver Twist. It may have been the first time most of the 250,000 revellers heard the hit-in-waiting from the Nigerian rap star, but it probably won't be the last. At that moment, London DJ Abrantee, the man who gave the name "Afrobeats" to the hottest scene in the UK right now, was getting ready to fly to Egypt, where the very same song "tore the place apart" in front of a Cairo club crowd more used to house music. Most people are familiar with the Afrobeat styles of Fela Kuti – Afrobeats is something different; with the addition of the letter "s" comes a whole new chapter in global pop music.

BABA70

Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Bob Marley Musical giants in a time of revolution

Looking back to the days of these two musical giant who check the world during their life time and still pronounced in today world clamoring for  change  even after thy have long gone. To me these two musical giant are prophet in there own right who see the true meaning of humanity 

 

It’s Bob Marley’s Birthday — and therefore, the perfect time to share this article by noted music writer, Vivien Goldman. HBD, Bob! follow the link below 

http://tinyurl.com/7tdurq8

The Real Kalakuta Republic

Kalakuta Republic was the name musician and political activist Fela Kuti gave to the communal compound that housed his family, band members, and recording studio. Located at 14 Agege Motor Road, Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria it had a free health clinic, and recording facility. Fela declared it independent from the Nigerian government after he returned from the United States in 1970.

The word "Kalakuta" was a caricature of a prison cell named Calcutta that fela inhabited.

 The compound burned to the ground on February 18, 1977 after an assault by a thousand armed soldiers. Before the attack on Fela's home, he made a record called Zombie, about the Nigerian military regime. 

In the song, soldiers are called zombies for obeying orders blindly. One of the lines of the song, in pidgin English says, "Zombie no go walk unless you tell am to walk", i.e., a zombie won't walk unless commanded to. While not criticising the idea of military service generally, Fela was frustrated with the Nigerian army's rank and file that allowed corruption and intimidation of their communities by the corrupt and rich top brass, while blindly following orders to intimidate Nigerians.

The song was popular in Nigeria, upsetting then Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo had been a schoolmate of Fela's in primary school in Abeokuta. The military was unhappy with Fela's constant criticism and said it was unseemly to have a republic within a republic. Nigerian tabloids carried lurid but unverified tales of girls lured to the compound by Fela's band members and corrupted.

During the attack on Kalakuta Republic by Nigerian soldiers, Fela's mother was thrown from a window and died after an 8-week coma.

Following this attack, Fela married 27 of his backing singers in a mass wedding ceremony at the office of his lawyer, Tunji Braithwaite. Fela said he would not have marital relations with all of the women as the tabloids suggested, but had married them as they could not find employment after the recording studio had been burnt down. According to Fela, in African tradition, when a woman was in danger of being left destitute, it was the duty of a man in her community to marry her as a means of offering protection.References

Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon By Michael E. Veal, p. 143

Revitalization of Fela's influence on music and popular culture

In recent years there has been a revitalization of Fela's influence on music and popular culture, culminating in another re-release of his catalog controlled by Universal Music, off-and-on Broadway biopic shows, and new bands, such as Antibalas, who carry the Afrobeat banner to a new generation of listeners.

In 1999, Universal Music France, under the aegis of Francis Kertekian, remastered the 45 albums that it controlled and released them on twenty-six compact discs. These titles were licensed to other territories of the world with the exception of Nigeria and Japan, where Fela's music was controlled by other companies. In 2005, Universal Music USA licensed all of its world-music titles to the UK-based label Wrasse Records, which repackaged the same twenty-six CDs for distribution in the USA (replacing the MCA-issued titles there) and the UK. In 2009, Universal created a new deal for the USA with Knitting Factory Records and for Europe with PIAS, which included the release of the Fela! Broadway cast album.

Thomas McCarthy's 2008 film The Visitor depicted a disconnected professor (Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins) who wanted to play the djembe. He learns from a young Syrian (Haaz Sleiman) who tells the professor he will never truly understand African music unless he listens to Fela. The film features clips of Fela's "Open and Close" and "Je'nwi Temi (Don't Gag Me)."

In 2008, an off-Broadway production of Fela Kuti's life titled Fela! began with a collaborative workshop between the Afrobeat band Antibalas and Tony award winner Bill T. Jones. The show was a massive success, selling out shows during its run, and garnering much critical acclaim. On November 22, 2009, Fela! began a run on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theater. Jim Lewis helped co-write the play (along with Bill T. Jones), and obtained producer backing from Jay-Z and Will Smith, among others. On May 4, 2010, Fela! was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Bill T. Jones, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Sahr Ngaujah, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Lillias White.[19]

On August 18, 2009, award winning DJ J.Period released a free mixtape to the general public via his website that was a collaboration with Somali-born hip hop artist K'naan paying tribute to Fela, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan entitled The Messengers.

In October 2009, Knitting Factory Records began the process of re-releasing the 45 titles that Universal Music controls, starting with yet another re-release of the compilation The Best of the Black President in the USA. The rest is expected to be released in 2010.[dated info]

In addition, a movie by Focus Features, directed by Steve McQueen and written by Biyi Bandele about the life of Fela Kuti went into production in 2010. It was announced in 2010 that Chiwetel Ejiofor would play the lead role.

References
From Wikipedia the online encyclopedia

MY FELASOPHY COLLECTIONS

The life and music of Fela Kuti, the Nigerian performer, composer and political activist, has come to the stage in Fela! The show is set to the infectious Afrobeat music he pioneered — a mix of jazz, highlife, funk and traditional West African chants and rhythms.

Kuti’s outspoken stance against corruption and oppression, through songs such as “Zombie” and “Unknown Soldier,” made him a target of Nigeria’s dictatorship in the 1970s. In 1977, the military attacked and destroyed the compound where he lived and recorded his music, and Kuti was banned from performing

Most of Fela's Album Art where design by Lemi Ghariokwu,

Lemi Ghariokwu is a Nigerian artist and designer who is most renowned for providing many of the original cover images for the recordings of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.[1]

His work involves a variety of styles, often using vibrant colours and individuated typefaces of his own design.

More than 2,000 album covers have been designed by Lemi, including covers for Bob Marley, E. T. Mensah, Osita Osadebe, Gilles Peterson and Antibalas.

Many of Ghariokwu's cover images echo and sometimes comment on the work and politics of the recordings that they accompany, serving a consciously integrated metatextual function.

Ghariokwu's approach to his work with Kuti involved listening to and digesting the music and then expressing his reaction in his paintings, design and comments which provide a high level of detail on the many album covers he delivered.[citation needed]

Lemi's relationship with Fela Kuti was very cordial. He gave Lemi total freedom with his work and thoughts to the level that he just did as he pleased, albeit responsibly, with how and what he wanted to express. Lemi had the rare previlege of putting his photograph and comments on some of the covers and was treated like a son, friend, adviser and comrade by the Afrobeat legend.

Ghariokwu's work has attracted much attention in the West and is the subject of various retrospective exhibitions.[2] His painting Anoda Sistem, created in 2002, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.[3]

Some of Ghariokwu's archive is now in the possession of Punch Records whose CEO Ammo Talwar has invited the academic community to make sense of a utilise this material in productive.