Proof that Fela Kuti had the power right to the end. Fela was 10 months away from death when this was filmed. It seems more like a ritual than a concert. The performance begins with raw rhythms and bodies on stage and then comes the music; trance rhythm, call and response without the strong brass section one associates with Fela's earlier more famous pieces (not the best audio quality on this film but the power of it still comes through). Fela seems to be in good spirits but his usual on stage banter is absent and he appears to be emaciated. By the 23rd minute of the performance the capacity crowd is starting to reach a frantic emotional high and people are rushing the stage. At the 45 minute mark Femi Kuti comes out for a saxophone solo, perhaps his father did not have the strength for it by this stage, with Fela only playing keyboard up to this point. Now the band takes off and Fela is sadly no longer on stage. He returns later to lead an emotional build up with the brass section from his position at the keyboard and then with the microphone center stage. This is an intense documentation of the last days of a master musician, his band and dancers. "The taste of excitement".
Sunday, December 17, 2017
FELA and Egypt 80 Live Oct 1 1996 Water Parks in Ikeja, Lagos
Proof that Fela Kuti had the power right to the end. Fela was 10 months away from death when this was filmed. It seems more like a ritual than a concert. The performance begins with raw rhythms and bodies on stage and then comes the music; trance rhythm, call and response without the strong brass section one associates with Fela's earlier more famous pieces (not the best audio quality on this film but the power of it still comes through). Fela seems to be in good spirits but his usual on stage banter is absent and he appears to be emaciated. By the 23rd minute of the performance the capacity crowd is starting to reach a frantic emotional high and people are rushing the stage. At the 45 minute mark Femi Kuti comes out for a saxophone solo, perhaps his father did not have the strength for it by this stage, with Fela only playing keyboard up to this point. Now the band takes off and Fela is sadly no longer on stage. He returns later to lead an emotional build up with the brass section from his position at the keyboard and then with the microphone center stage. This is an intense documentation of the last days of a master musician, his band and dancers. "The taste of excitement".
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