Fela! An Unexpected Broadway Success

Fela! The musical about Nigeria's most famous musician Fela Kuti is proving  to be a big hit on Broadway,  there are no big stars or hit songs which which made people doubt that it would be such a big hit on broadway.

Founder of "afrobeat" - a fusion of African high-life, jazz and funkSpoke up for Nigeria's poor and against the country's military regime Married 27 women simultaneously, then adopted a rotation system where he kept only 12 at a timeTried to run for president in 1979, but authorities blocked his candidacy.Changed his middle name from Ransome - a slave name, he said - to Anikulapo, meaning "he who carries death in the pouch"Died of Aids in 1997. My Father loved Fela Kuti Sooooo much, he would sing his songs word by word without knowing what each word meant!

As reported by a New York audience including many Africans and African-Americans, the scene was sublime. After the laughs subsided, one could almost hear the smiles.The play, titled simply Fela! is full of such moments.During the course of a free-flowing two hours and 20 minutes, the audience is treated to an innovative mix of biography, music and dance.
The stage, set up as an approximation of the Shrine, his Lagos nightclub and community centre, is where Fela - who is played by two actors - narrates his journeys to far-away lands both geographical and spiritual.

Fela's journey to the spiritual world was particularly enjoyable for Kunle Ade, a Nigerian musician and fashion-designer based in New York's hip Fort Greene neighbourhood.At other times the performers and the renowned Brooklyn-based afro-beat band, Antibalas, join Fela in electrifying renditions of his hits.In one memorable number, the audience is treated to an interactive lesson into the mechanics of "breaking it down". For those not familiar with performing concentrated pelvic movements, Fela explains that it is no more complicated than trying to feel the beat.

The original Shrine was closed soon after his death in 1997, but the play's director and choreographer, the renowned Bill T Jones, does an extraordinary job of crafting an immersive experience. As the performers by turns sit, interact and walk about the stage before the performance and during its intermission, one imagines that is exactly what the Shrine was like in its heyday: a place to hang out and share ideas.

    One of those ideas was the vital role women play as both mothers and labourers in Nigerian society.As the play narrates, Fela's mother Funmilayo, even after her death at the hands of the country's military government, played a critical role in her son's life.His wives, or "queens", as he refers to them, are depicted as regal, dignified companions.Others, however, have criticised the play for this. Fela, in fact, married 27 women in 1978 before he adopted a rotating system of 12 wives. In the play, he is able to explain his life choices, but the women are silent.

Crowds at the Fela Show, Wil and Jada

The full article was originally published in Focus on Africa magazine. To read more and subscribe, visit their website. or Go on to news.bbc.co.uk