Opening the Curtain
The Soul of Fela!
When you think of the music and life of Fela Kuti, a broadway musical isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
By Anthony Byrnes • • 3m ListenThis is Anthony Byrnes Opening the Curtain on LA Theater for KCRW.
“If someone had told me 5 years ago that Fela would have a big broadway musical I would have said you’re delusional.”
Fela! is now at the Ahmanson theatre.
"The band would get going for about 3 or 4 minutes--5 minutes, going--and then he would come out, and then someone would bring him his joint. And he'd start smoking it and then he would start giving you a lecture. And I remember times, '...Come on, Fela! Let's have some music, okay? Enough of the lecturing..."
"He does this little routine called "The Clock", where every hour of the day has a certain kind of hip thrust. And this little old couple next to me, they were doing some pelvic thrusts, while they were standing up to his music."
Fela! plays at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA through January 22nd.
Read about Fela! on Tom Schnabel's World Music Blog, Rhythm Planet.
Here is the longer version of the conversation between Anthony Byrnes and Tom Schnabel.
KCRW's Anthony Byrnes Talks 'Fela!' with KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel by