Nigeria Content Online

History was made on
July 13, 2010 in New York City when Femi Kuti, Nigerian musician and
son of the legendary Afro beat king finally went to see the critically
acclaimed Broadway show, Fela! He had been holding out on visiting the
show until he got the assurance that it would be brought to Lagos. “I’m
very proud of what I saw,” Femi said.

“This shows that
the fight is still going on,” an emotional Femi explained, when invited
on stage and introduced by Sahr Ngaujah, the Tony Award-nominated actor
who plays Fela in the show. Femi, who is currently on an international
tour and performed at the Lincoln Centre with his band, the Positive
Force the previous night, added, “Africans should have been the ones
who bailed Haiti out.” The audience was treated to a few more words of
wisdom as Femi continued, sharing his disappointment about the
continent’s leadership and economic progress. Femi then joined the cast
of the show in singing part of his father’s song, Gentleman, before he
left the Eugene O’Neill Theatre for a reception with a group of
Nigerians living in New York.

Standing in the
midst of cameras at the soirée, he recounted Sahr’s visit to Lagos,
explaining that the Broadway actor had wanted to get his family’s
blessing. Femi said that he wanted them to be confident in themselves
regardless of his opinion. “I am very proud of what they are doing,”
the musician said, visibly moved by the depiction of events he had
witnessed, such as the military raid of his father’s compound. “I cried
several times during the performance,” he admitted. “I was a boy of
about fifteen or sixteen when some of the things happened, now I am
getting close to fifty.” His grandmother, Funmilayo, died as a result
of the injuries sustained during the attack.

When asked what he
thought about the criticism levelled by some Nigerians that his
father’s lyrics as sung during the production had been changed, he was
quick to explain that the show’s creators did so to make it more
accessible to the audience of Americans.”What has Nigeria done for
Fela? Nothing.” Fela! is produced by Steve Hendel, an American who came
across Anikulapo-Kuti’s music and fell in love with Afro beat. He has
never visited Nigeria. However, as a result of his efforts, many people
in the US now have a clearer portrait of one of Nigeria’s most famous
sons. The show chronicles the life of Fela and his artistic and musical
journey, exploring some of his main influences. It also highlights his
relationship with his mother, Funmilayo, educating the audience about
her work, her teachings and her legacy.

The Broadway production opened on November 23, 2009, with star
power, fuelled by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Academy
Award-nominated actor Will Smith and his wife actress Jada
Pinkett-Smith, the show’s executive producers. The premiere was
attended by Hollywood and music stars such as director Spike Lee and
legendary actor and musician, Harry Belafonte. It is still not an
uncommon occurrence to run into icons such as Madonna or Mick Jagger at
a regular Thursday evening performance. The hit show was nominated for
a record of 11 Tony Awards this year and has attracted some of the most
diverse audiences ever seen on Broadway. It is scheduled to open at
London’s National Theatre in mid November. Hendel, the show’s producer,
has also said that he plans to take the show to Lagos.