Fela! The Concert

There was no greater musical rebel than Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. John Lennon and Keith Richards have nothing on Kuti, who was imprisoned by his government and invented one of the most thrilling forms of popular music. But can a concert capture the essence of Fela Kuti some 18 years after his death? Kinda, yeah. Even though Fela! The Concert is based on an acclaimed Broadway musical (Fela!) and features members of New York’s fantastic Afrobeat band Antibalas, I had some doubts going into this concert version of the Broadway show. Would jazz hands and show-stopping ballads be integrated into this Afrobeat experience? These fears were erased quickly. With the houselights still on, the 10-piece band (pimped out in sweet 70s get-up) began performing Kuti numbers while audience members strolled in to find their seats. The lights dimmed as dancers and back-up singers made their way to the stage. Then Kuti (well, Adesola Osakalumi as Kuti) appeared, walking through the audience, surrounded by flunkeys, in a brilliant pale blue jumpsuit. Very cool. It was like Kuti had returned, as Osakalumi had Kuti’s mannerisms down pat out the front of the seriously hot band, while the throng of male and female singers and dancers were wiggling and throwing their bodies around the stage like it was Lagos in 1972. It was all colour, noise and frenetic movement, and while it might have lacked the intensity and raw power of Kuti and Africa ‘70 at the peak of their powers, for the uninitiated, this was a perfect introduction to Afrobeat. For Kuti fans, it was a chance to reminisce and enjoy a professional production honouring the great man. Easily the loudest show I’ve ever witnessed at the Festival Theatre, Fela! The Concert featured images from Alex Gibney’s recent documentary Finding Fela! on a screen behind the band to highlight the political activism of the rebel musician and two-time Nigerian presidential candidate. The show briefly explained some of Kuti’s achievements in-between classics such as Zombie and Water No Get Enemy for a brief overview of how the former highlife musician invented Afrobeat and became an outspoken activist and rebel musician. The politics played second fiddle to the music and the colour. This was a show to dance and enjoy the music of Fela Kuti rather than dig deeper into what made the man tick. And on a musical and entertainment level, Fela! The Concert was an undisputed success. Fela! The Concert continues at Festival Theatre until Saturday, March 14 Image: Paul Brissman, Adelaide Festival of Arts