What happens? An 8-track remix compiled from “… dozens of hand-picked samples from the Nigerian instrumentalist and political figure Fela Kuti, and 8 carefully-chosen acapellas from the Native Tongue rap trio De La Soul” called Fela Soul.
The remix is the work of America Gazaway for Gummy Soul.
Above is the promo video. Here’s a link to a free download.
Seun Kuti (28 year old son of Fela), playing Brooklyn next month, talk to Wax Poetics TV has some issues with other artists. He is definitely casting stones on all the blinged out, autotuned Nigerian pop.
http://vimeo.com/22227829
Roy Ayers played and recorded with Fela Kuti (here‘s an example) and he has reinvented himself musically a few times–he still does. Now there’s a new documentary film about Ayers. In the trailer, above, Bobbito Garcia, tells about Ayers’ ability to bring the sunshine. There’s also this, below, by The Roots drummer and bandleader, Questlove.
Fela Kuti works for Lebron James.
I can only imagine what Fela would have said (or sung) about the real Miami, like Overtown or Liberty City.
The Fela revival–lawsuits and all–in New York City rolls on. This time it’s a new documentary about a mid-1980s visit Kuti–then in his prime–made to New York City. ”Fela–NYC: Fresh from Africa” is a 97-minute film directed by Jaheed Ashley “… filled with rare footage of Fela that remained unseen for two decades.” I just got a notice about a screening on December 4, 2o1o at Riverside in Harlem by the African Diaspora Film Festival.
I am not sure what to make of this. Bill T Jones (creator of the musical “Fela!,” currently playing on Broadway) recently choreographed “Zombie” (a song about military repression) for Canada’s version of “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Some of us will be a bit preoccupied with, you know, the biggest event in the world this weekend so it’s only natural that this Sunday will come and go without our tuning in to watch the Tony Awards. But then, I’ve never actually watched the Tony Awards.
Of course, as we all know, Fela! is this year’s runaway Broadway hit, garnering 11 Tony nominations, the most of any other show. And just in time to remind those of us—including myself—that haven’t seen it just what we’re missing, comes the release of the official commercial, from creative production company Shilo.
Good luck to cast and crew.
Some critics went after Bill T Jones for his musical portrayal of the king of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, on Broadway. Here, in the video above, Mr Jones responds–indirectly–to criticisms of “Fela!,” during a discussion with Bill Moyers about the life of the American President, Abraham Lincoln. Jones created a dance-theater work celebrating the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.
Thanks to my colleague, Nerina Penzhorn, for pointing me to the link.
* I just got the Wax Poetics Africa Issue in the mail. Though the issue may give the impression that good music stopped being produced in Africa since the 1970s–in part it reads like a tribute issue with articles about Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, the Rail Band, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, Hugh Masekela, Lemi Ghariokwu, Orchestra Baobab, and Pax Nicholas, among others–it is worth buying. If only for the sentimental value. It comes complete with a downloadable playlist of the songs discussed in the issue.
