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FELA! is a new musical directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones with a book by Jim Lewis, in which audiences are welcomed into the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.
Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), FELA! explores Kuti’s controversial life as artist, political activist and revolutionary musician.
Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs and Bill T. Jones’s imaginative staging, this new show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre. Like it? Leave a comment!
‘Fela!’
Sahr Ngaujah plays the title character in this video still from the new Broadway musical. (“Fela!” on Broadway)
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Couldn't Love You More by John Martyn
[..YouTube..] Wonderful. Saw this show on its opening week on Broadway and it’s just electrifying.
[..YouTube..] Fela was one of the greatest and most influential African artist. In fact, like Bob Marley, Fela in death has become an icon. His Afrobeat sound has been discovered by a whole new generation. Fela was full of contradictions. He was militant, sexist, political, and a visionary. His sons Femi and Seun continue to carry on the Afrobeat tradition. This play is a testimony to Fela’s legacy. I had the opportunity to see Fela perform. Bill . Jones has made an iconoclast, (Fela) mainstream.
i totally agree with you. The man was just the best. Never scared to say the truth. I considered him a philosopher!
[..YouTube..] I agree I love his Music and I found out about him in 2006 when I watched a clip of the Essence awards giving a tribute to Mos Def and Dave Chapelle who started it off said that Mos taught him about Felo Kuti
!! That’s when I first heard his name and found out about him and Afrobeat on youtube. I love the show!! I wanna go see it on broadway. I hope they come to Canada as well.
[..YouTube..] Fela!!!!…. where are thou???.. u left too soon,,look @ the world appreciating ur music… Rest in Peace…
wow greatshow , he was a revolutionary of his time
[..YouTube..] this crap is just commerce…FELA said music is for revolution,the struggle is too important for us to afford these diversions…look what they did to MANDELA,they carried him away from the struggle by mellowing him down and i feel the same for this crap… broadway hollywood,all devil creations il lived in america for 20 years i seen fela live in 91this is not a tribute..this is capitalism at its best…FELA is a true king he wouldnt go for this..he fought this exact same shit all his life
[..YouTube..] this crap is just commerce…FELA said music is for revolution,the struggle is too important for us to afford these diversions…look what they did to MANDELA,they carried him away from the struggle by mellowing him down and i feel the same for this crap… broadway hollywood,all devil creations il lived in america for 20 years i seen fela live in 91
this is not a tribute..this is capitalism at its best…
FELA is a true king he wouldnt go for this..he fought this exact same shit all his life
[..YouTube..] THANK YOU! Can you post more please
[..YouTube..] wow!!! LOVE this..I really want to see it
[..YouTube..] I hope you do realize that the people who make theese shows could choose any subject matter they like, and that this performance in no way belittles Fela’s own life-long struggle. One can do music at different levels, and this level might be solely on the level of entertainment, but then I say that this is a show well worth the time, effort and money of both the performers and the audience.As far as I’m concerned it’s worth moe to be able to experience the music live than to adhere to dogma.
[..YouTube..] I hope you do realize that the people who make theese shows could choose any subject matter they like, and that this performance in no way belittles Fela’s own life-long struggle.
One can do music at different levels, and this level might be solely on the level of entertainment, but then I say that this is a show well worth the time, effort and money of both the performers and the audience.
As far as I’m concerned it’s worth moe to be able to experience the music live than to adhere to dogma.
[..YouTube..] you are right, this world is their playground but i have the right to manifest my outrage cos there is more to us than just entertainment…it ll be like those going to church for 2000 years and waiting for the jesus that they killed to come save them …thats dogma to me!…
[..YouTube..] I wish i could have seen this..wanted to support my friend and long time former classmate …Nicole de Weever who is one of the amazing dancers and on the poster for FELA. unfortunately i am in Amsterdam and am unable to travel at the moment….sooooo…..thank you for posting this video!!!! i saw th clip of their performance on the view…this is so much better
GO NICOLE!!!! so proud of you!!! live your dream!! love you!!!
[..YouTube..] I wish i could have seen this..wanted to support my friend and long time former classmate …Nicole de Weever who is one of the amazing dancers and on the poster for FELA. unfortunately i am in Amsterdam and am unable to travel at the moment….sooooo…..thank you for posting this video!!!! i saw th clip of their performance on the view…this is so much better
GO NICOLE!!!! so proud of you!!! live your dream!! love you!!!
[..YouTube..] damn i want to see this!!!!!!!!!!! i live in ca. maybe it’ll come to L.A.
[..YouTube..] This show does exactly what Fela lived for. It makes you want to go out “there” and change the world. “he who carrys death in his pocket, no man can kill” it doesnt get any better then this. The is Musical theater for a change! This is musical theater at its best!
[..YouTube..] saw this a few weeks ago…amazing
[..YouTube..] “finkelsmak “, thanks for the response to “afroda3″ who has spent so much time making the same comments on all videos about this broadway show.If you feel so bad about the show, could you please do something in tribute to Fela you think would be better. That will be much better than just condemning this great effort which is at least getting the word out about a great musical genius who deserved much more global recognition than he got when he was alive.
[..YouTube..] i saw the show wednesday night and was very impressed!! looks like j-z finally did something right ….
[..YouTube..] i saw that show april 21,2010 on a school trip it was a beautiful show the ladies look so lovely as they dance, my friends were triping that jay-z was nowhere to be found
[..YouTube..] Fela! fantastic!!!
[..YouTube..] I Saw This Last Week It Was Amazing. I Even Got To Meet Some Of The Cast