Typing the words "Fela On Broadway" is surreal...what possible congruence could there be between, the fearless King Of Afrobeat, champion of the oppressed, rebel against all convention, and passionate Afro-Centrist? Those were my thoughts when I first heard there was a musical about Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the works earlier in the year. My first thought was that it was somebody's misguided attempt to present Fela to mainstream audiences and I shuddered to think what a travesty it could be in the wrong hands. The last thing I wanted to see was a trivialization of Fela and all he stood for.
My fears were allayed somewhat when I learned that one of Fela's long-time managers, Rikki Stein, was very much involved. I know Rikki to be a man of integrity who would be vigiland against any dilution of Fela. I also heard Bill T. Jones was involved, also a man of integrity as well as great talent. I went to see the show in its preview run and came away a believer. The lead actor, who is from Sierra Leone, delivers an uncanny performance which truly channels Fela's spirit and personality. The music is provided by U.S.-based Afrobeat group Antibalas, a group of musicians who have been carrying the Afrobeat torch with great skill and commitment for more than a decade. In fact, one of the finest Afrobeat concerts I had seen in the past twenty years was a show at The Lion's Den in NYC when Antibalas backed former Fela keyboardist Dele Sosimi. So the music is authentic and powerful, thus negating my biggest fear. Fela is presented as multi-dimensional; his "rascal" side is referred to ("kalakuta", the name he gave his home compound, means "rascal") as well as his heroic courage.
The best evidence that the creators of this show know what they are doing is the recurring appearance of Fela's mother's spirit in the play. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a powerful, ground-breaking woman, a political activist who was the biggest influence in Fela's life. Even after her death, following her injuries from an attack by soldiers on Fela's compound, her spirit was very present in Fela's life and he communicated regularly with her.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of ordinary theater-goers. Will they take as mainly entertainment, dazzled by the costumes, music and dance? Or will they truly absorb Fela's story, the pagent of one man's battle against brutal political forces? It would be fascinating to interview people after the show. In any case, this musical will be the biggest mainstream penetration ever achieved by Fela...I recommend that everyone see it! www.felaonbroadway.com
look for rare Fela track in our "musical treats" section soon!
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