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.

FELASOPHY

Way bark in the late 70s into the 1980s I was opportune to live in the same neighborhood with the ABAMI EDA him self FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI I use to live at No.12 Kodesor Street off Olayeni where you have the then Africa Shrine at Pepul Street.

I remember this particular night February 13^th 1976 that was the day the then Nigerian Head of State, Gen Muritala Ramat Muhammad (R I P) was assassinated the morning of that day, a dusk to dawn curfew was imposed trough out the country and road blocks where mounted at different junctions along the Lagos metropolis by the military, there was also a road block on Kodeso Street that night, mounted in front of Texaco Petrol Station, opposite that Petrol Station is the junction that Leeds to the Africa Shrine, at about 9: 30 pm I was at the balcony relaxing all of a sodden the soldiers at the road block shouting if you be FELA n ko! you no know say curfew day for town, come down!

There was this car a Volvo station wagon Wight with the a sticker EGIPT 80 FELA,s picture inscribe on the car door inside the number 0, I did not see who is inside the car but for sure the car belongs to Baba 70 and I herd the soldiers shouting if you be FELA’ n ko.

The most interesting part of the story is that FELA immediately drove the car moving on the revise gear, from that spot and disappeared into Oba Akran Avenew, the soldiers fire some waning short into the air, my brother! FELA did not stop the car, wow he is really the ABAMI EDA.

A visit to that area now, what you see is the Computer Village. My parent later moved to Oluwalemu Steet off Atinuke Olabanji Street; yes that is where you have the Calacuta Republic opposite FELA’s resident. FELA moved into a building on that street after his house was burnt by unknown soldiers. I was opportune to see FELA live rehashed Best of No Nation, You Be Tiff etc. FELA sometimes play his special saxophone outside his house, lots of memory you know! I wasn’t around when he moved to his permanent resident at Gbemisola Street.

If you are residing at Ikeja in the 1980’s you will be familiar with the public water supply located along the road to Wema board Estate, not too far from the T-junction that leads to Adeniyi Jonce Avenew, that is the only place where you can get water in the whole of Ikeja , and all the kids in the neighborhood use to go to that spot to get water, it use to be a tog of war to get water, some times it is survival of the fittest before you can get a bucket of water . But FELA did something that amazed me, right in front of the Calacuta Republic there is this broken pipe splitting water into the main road and later got boost, for several days and weeks, the authorities did not show up to fix the broken pipe and this as been the case in several pleases around town. Well what did FELA do? FELA ordered that the broken pipe be fixed and turn into public usage, come and see how the kids in the area where now trooping to Calacuta to get water (Fela ti se omi si iwaju ile e) and the tap never stop running for a very long time. Fela was a very strong person I remember this particular day it was in the afternoon, I was coming back from school

I pensive the odor of tear gas while I was about to enter Atinuke Olabanji Street, you don’t need to tell me what is going on, because I already know what is happening, the unknown soldiers has come to pick FELA again, you need to see how he was bitten ha! FELA's life was cut short by the various encounters he had with the unknown soldiers.

I love FELA’s way of life, his sence of resoning to me he is an enigma, a prophet and somebody who lives in the heart of so many people across the world, he made me to believe in the word freedom as in I am so free, clean and pure in my heart. He is a leader Nigeria never hard. Thai is my FELASOPHY.

AFROBEAT LEGEND TO PERFORM AT FESTIVAL’S EXCLUSIVE ART EXHIBITION

"Tony Allen is probably the most important musician of the past 50 years."

Brian Eno Pioneering Afrobeat musician Tony Allen will perform at the London launch of BASS Festival 2009, kicking off the festival’s month-long celebration of Africa.
Allen’s appearance will coincide with the opening of an exclusive art exhibition that documents the work of Ghariokwu Lemi, best-known for designing 2000 album sleeves, including nearly 30 for iconic Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.
Allen, the former musical director and drummer in Fela Kuti’s band, will appear alongside other celebrated African musicians on Tuesday 9 June at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London.Fela Kuti once stated that “without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat”.
His unique drumming style, which incorporates all four limbs, helped shape the funky rhythms that defined the genre.Since his influential work in the 70s,
Allen has established himself as an artist in his own right, recording and touring with his own band as well as collaborating with acclaimed contemporary musicians such as Sébastian Tellier, Air, Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn’s The Good, the Bad and the Queen.
Allen’s performance at BASS precedes the release of his new album ‘Secret Agent’, released in June 2009.
Joining him on the night and also performing will be Fela Kuti keyboard player Dele Sosimi, singer/dancer Wunmi and stalwarts of the diasporic scene Eric Soul & Rich Medina.
Feel free to spread the word as the chance to witness those incredible artists under the same roof at any one time in the future is very slim indeed....Lemi will also be appearing to curate the launch of the exhibition.

The ‘Art’s Own Kind’ launch will take place on 9 June at Rich Mix, Shoreditch, London. Entry is free and from 7.30pm onwards.

The Day after Edge09 present AFROBEAT: A CULTURE - a forum for all Afrobeat headz with a stellar panel that includes Lemi Ghariokwu (The Man responsible for Fela's artwork)Tony Allen (Afrobeat Master drummer) Rich Medina (Jump'n'Funk NYC)Wumni (Afrobeat Queen) Dele Sosimi (Keys/Egypt80).
The discussion will be hosted by Paul Bradshaw (Edge09/Straight No Chaser). Join us and a host of invited guests to assess the global impact of Afrobeat - a culture of creativity and resistance.

Art’s Own Kind 8June - 6 July 2009 Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, For more information on BASS Festival, including full line-up details, please visit www.bassfestival.co.uk.-ENDS-Press enquiries:
Please contact Luke McNaney at Rewired PR luke@rewiredpr.com.

Nigeria's Top 10 Musician for 2008

AfricanLoft, the community portal for the global African and Afrocentric audience has announced Nigeria’s Top 10 Musicians for 2008.
AfricanLoft presented the movers and shakers of the Nigerian music scene - the “9ja Top 10” in multimedia, using reports from several media sources including YouTube, Nigerian Punch and AfricanLoft Lounge.
I was curious to see if one of my favourite artists in recent times would be number 1 on the list, and as expected, there he was…

The List

1. D’banj Won several awards in 2008 including the MAMA’s Best African Act.

2. Timaya His dancehall tracks, especially Timaya, endeared him to so many fans.

3. 9ice First, he left the shores of the country for the first time in 2008. Secondly, he made so much money and thirdly, he got married to his babe. To cap it all, his Gongo Aso has fetched him so many national and international awards.

4. Naeto CHe came from nowhere and suddenly, Naeto C is big on the rap music scene. He is certainly going places and winning awards.

5. P Square 28year-old Peter and Paul Okoye proved their detractors wrong with Game Over, which had the Do Me track

6. Mike Aremu The numero uno gospel jazz saxophonist (several of his audio files are on AfricanLoft) takes his music to newer heights in 2008 “Arabarabaribita”, a collaboration featuring Sasha is one big smash hit, and a frank reminder that Mike is not just about blowing the sax: he’s also an entertainer.

7. Olu Maintain He came out with his hit track, Yahozee, even had a wonderful perfomance with US former Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

8. Asa The Jailer crooner was just the bomb in 2008; won an international award in France.

9.FazeFaze did not go Kolomental this year, rather, he became more ‘original’ with his ‘Originality’ album.

10. 2FaceInnocent Idibia aka 2Face, is still the man of the moment one of few Nigerian artistes that have toured the globe.

You can tell us what you think about this list and if your favourite Nigerian musician made it to the list.

2Face Releas, Akon & Faze

2face released his long awaited album last week which included the much hyped collabo with American RnB star Rkelly, Flex. Some fans were not quite excited by the duet, perhaps it was below their expectations, and however the album contains other great records made with talented local artists.

On the other hand, 2face ex-plantashun boiz band member has been enjoying much success and making being a successful artist look so easy, we are talking of Nigeria's RnB king, FAZE.

Faze has never had a single that sold less than 1 million copies in a country where artist struggle very hard to legally sell just 50,000 copies, no wonder Akon wants to have him on his konvict label by any means. Faze released his originality album in october and it has since gone platinum having sold over 1 million copies again, the album include his party track dutty whine, his hit track am in love and the title track originality; you can listen to all these tracks and more on Naijapals.com, you will also be able to order a copy of this album from foreverfaze.com, remember to visit faze official profile on Naijapals.com at www.naijapals.com/faze.

The Event

Afrobeat dancers perform at 'Felabration,' an annual event paying homage to Afrobeat music founder Fela Kuti, in Lagos, Nigeria in the early hours of Sunday Oct. 19, 2008. Thousands of Afrobeat enthusiasts danced through the night in a cavernous warehouse to celebrate what would have been the 70th birthday of the late Nigerian music legend and political activist.
(AP Photo/Sunday Alamba