Fela! The Concert

Enduring and Defiant Human Spirit Enshrined in Afrobeat

Audiences are left buzzing and perhaps a little exhausted by the effervescence and frenetic energy of Fela! The Concert. Its message about the capacity of one man to inspire the Nigerian people to resist injustice and corruption shines through, embodied in the late Fela Anikulapo- Kuti’s passionate and defiant lyrics, his music and the wonderfully evocative dance.

A pioneer of the fusion of jazz, funk and Ghanian/Nigerian rhythms that resulted in the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti released over fifty albums during the 70’s-80’s. His music was often played at his club The Shrine and railed against injustice, oppression and the corrupt Nigerian military dictatorship of the times.

The concert version of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production Fela! has its Australian premiere exclusively at the Adelaide Festival and features some of the cast members from the Broadway show.

Adesola Osakalumi embodies the fiery passion of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.  With a superlative stage presence and the voice and dance moves to match, he never stops moving, interacting with the wonderful ten-piece band, the dancers and the audience. A mesmerising performance.

The remaining cast is a superb, indefatigable song and dance ensemble. They include Shawn Fisher, Ismael Kouyate, Afi Bijou, Nicole Chantal De Weever, Catherine Foster, Oneika Phillips, Jason Herbert and Jermaine Rowe.

Led by Musical Director Greg Gonzalez, the musicians are magnificent and superbly create the magic that is Afrobeat. Together with the wonderful voices of the cast, they ensure Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s songs raise the roof of the Festival Theatre, songs such as Everything Scatter, Yellow Fever, Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am, Expensive Shit, Zombie, Opposite People and more.

Projected onto a towering backdrop, a constantly changing mix of historical video and press clips, along with some phrases from the show’s lyrics, vividly portray the brutal, corrupt political environment of 70’s-80’s Nigeria and the struggle of ordinary people.

Marina Draghici’s costume and set design is wonderful, as is Jessica Paz’s sound design and Michael Korsch’s dramatic lighting.

Directed by Maija Garcia, who has also devised additional choreography to that of Bill T. Jones’ original work, Fela! The Concert is awash with sound, rhythm, movement, vibrant colour and at times, mass audience participation.  

The relentless beat overwhelms some of the show’s lyrics, but we don’t care; the ensemble performance, the music, the dance and the projected history say it all.

Fela! The Concert is an ebullient celebration of how the human spirit can be enshrined forever in music. It’s an unforgettable concert experience.

Lesley Reed 

Image Credit: (top two) Shane Reid & (lower) Paul Brissman. Adelaide Festival of Arts.