FELA! in Los Angeles
For whatever reason, the Fela! broadway musical was moved from April 2012 to December 2011 in Los Angeles, and we are not complaining! I watched this in a HD simulcast from London a few months back at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center, and I was damn near in tears from the first note. This is an amazing story based in Fela’s “Shrine,” a performance space where his live evening shows would last until the morning. Sometimes 7 or 8 hours of afrobeat heat. This production is, without a doubt, my favorite musical of all time. No questions asked. The music, the choreography, and the story will reach anyone who connects with afrobeat music. Fela is running in Los Angeles through January 21st, so you have plenty of time to see it. Do not sleep on this! Get your tickets at www.centertheatregroup.org
I stumbled on this LP a few weeks back at my local record shop in Long Beach, and was delightfully surprised! These dudes are very young, all 22 and younger, based out of Amsterdam. Check out this video, which pretty much sums them up better than I can. If you love afrobeat music, this record, which is, in essence, a one-take studio session, will make you bug out. I’ve been reccomending this to everyone I know. Enjoy!
