Fela In Concert

This extraordinary DVD features Nigeria’s explosively charismatic superstar, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, at his very best in this historic concert DVD, entitled Fela in Concert, recorded live in Paris in 1981.  Fela was not only the most celebrated African musician & composer of his time, but a revolutionary, cultural, and political symbol whose contributions were often overlooked in the Western world.

The African rhythms of his music were profoundly influenced by the sounds of Jazz icons Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Mile Davis, but equally by the Jamaican Reggae of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear, forming a new musical style called Afro-Pop.

As a charismatic performer, keyboard player, saxophonist, & composer, Fela’s influence extends outside the limits of rhythm and melody, as he using his music as a canvas to reject the imperial trappings of power. He led a political party in Lagos, named The Movement of The People, and was its candidate in the Nigerian Presidential elections of 1983. Pan-Africanist and Libertarian, Fela represented the uprising of Black Africa, both politically and musically.

This historic show was recorded in Paris in 1981 during an exclusive, all-night concert. Punctuated by the exotic and suggestive tribal dances and rituals performed on stage by 15 of Fela’s wives, this exceptional event was captured by multiple cameras, enhancing this special DVD presentation.

Fela was a musician, a politician, a spiritual chief, and an agitator all at once, but however one views the man, he was undeniably a symbolic icon of struggle & revolution, as well as one of the most beloved men in Africa. In Nigeria, Fela claimed that he was better known than the President. It was probably true.

 

Selections include:

Instrumental Solo

Army’s Arrangement

Original Suffer Head

Power Show

 

“This video is an exceptional document of the live performance experience; if Fela decides to run a second time for President of Nigeria, this should be a mighty weapon in his arsenal.” – Reggae & African Beat Magazine