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Lagos Nigeria: The cast of FELA! MUSICAL recently performed at
the new African shrine in Lagos, Nigeria - The birth nation of Fela
Anikulapo Kuti - the Afrobeat musician/human rights advocate on whose
life the musical FELA! is based. The Musical is based on true-life
experiences of Fela who was inspired by his mother's civil rights
activism. Fela challenged corruption and oppressive leadership as well
as military governance, devoting his life to to the struggle for
freedom and human dignity through his music. In attendance were
members of Fela's family such as his son, Femi Kuti, some officials,
and many musical fans of the late Afrobeat King - Fela. "FELA! is the
true story of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, whose soulful
Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation.
Pictures by
Africa-Related. Edited by AfricanEvents.com.
Cast of Fela at the New African Shrine in Lagos.
More Photos Below: |
The cast of FELA!
ABOUT FELA
(Continued): Fela was born Olufela Olusegun
Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria into a
middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a feminist
activist in the anti-colonial movement and his father, Reverend Israel
Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school principal, was
the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. Fela was sent to
London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at
the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band Koola
Lobitos, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife. In 1960, Fela married
his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three
children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria,
re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian
Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and
his All Stars. In 1967, he went to Ghana to think up a new musical
direction. That was when Kuti first called his music Afrobeat. In 1969,
Fela took the band to the United States. While there, Fela discovered
the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now Izsadore)—a partisan
of the Black Panther Party—which would heavily influence his music and
political views and renamed the band Nigeria '70. Soon, the Immigration
and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and
his band were in the U.S. without work permits. The band then performed
a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as
The '69 Los Angeles Sessions. After Fela and his band returned to
Nigeria, the band was renamed The Africa '70, as lyrical themes changed
from love to social issues. He then formed the Kalakuta Republic, a
commune, a recording studio, and a home for many connected to the band
that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. Fela set up
a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, named the Afro-Spot and then the Afrika
Shrine, where he performed regularly. Fela also changed his middle name
to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"), stating that
his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name.
Culled From Wikipedia
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FELA Lead-actor
- Sahr Nguajah
Femi Kuti
performs
Cast members of
FELA!
A scene
about Fela's mother on FELA!
Energy!
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Femi Kuti and family
A view of the band
Fela cast performs
Femi Kuti performs
Cast performing
Audience participation
Another cross section of the audience being entertained
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