ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING FELA!

FELA! – ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING

2010-06-15

Broadway recordings often don’t work for me as they tend to include dialogue that doesn’t mean much if you haven’t seen the show nor is it a normal musical cd. Fela! mixes 16 of Fela Kuti’s songs including the brilliant I.T.T. and Zombie with musically trying to describe the life of Fela, the late Nigerian political activist and inventor of Afro-beat. There are also songs sung by Lilas White, Fela’s mother and Saycon Sengbloh a girlfriend in the play. Actor Sahr Ngaujah infuses Fela! with his phenomenal voice, bringing all the material to life. The band “Antibalas” is genius slipping between jazz, funk and Afro-beat – sometimes all in one song. Warnings: The word ass is scattered around appearing at least once in #1, #9, and #16. Shit is in the dialogue for #5. #8 is a NO PLAY motherf##ker. Songs #12 “Torture” and #20” Coffin for Head of State” are about tough subjects so don’t play before 10pm. Does this cd work as a stand alone musical piece? Not for me but there are interesting pieces here. - Anne Lamont

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #World

  • reviewed 08/2004

    Steel Pulse
    African Holocaust

  • reviewed 06/2012

    VARIOUS
    Cafe con Musica

  • reviewed 05/2009

    PLAYING FOR CHANGE
    Songs Around the World

  • reviewed 03/2008

    VARIOUS ARTISTS
    Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project

  • reviewed 12/1969

    Tiny Tim with Brave Combo
    Girl

  • reviewed 05/2007

    BALKAN BEATBOX
    NuMed

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.