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Jump N Funk & Libation Celebate FELA KUTI :: Thurs. 10/15
JUMP N FUNK & LIBATION
Present
FELABRATION @ S.O.B.'s!
(A Fête For the Birthday of Fela Kuti, the Knitting Factory Records Release Best of the Black President and the New Broadway Musical, FELA!)
It is rare that an artist erupts onto the musical landscape, defines a genre, shakes the world to its core and departs too soon leaving a legacy that can fill the night sky. Jazz had John Coltrane. Rock had Jimi Hendrix. Afrobeat had Fela Kuti. On THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15th two of NYC's most beloved soirees-Rich Medina's acclaimed Jump N Funk and the popular Tea Party Music & Manchildblack throwdown Libation-come together with Giant Step, Knitting Factory Records, FELA! The Musical, The Museum for African Art & S.O.B.'s to pay homage to the life of Nigeria’s warrior poet and the Godfather of Global Soul with FELABRATION!
FELABRATION takes its audience through an interactive journey of the life of Africa’s most prolific musical pioneer with a documentary, Music is the Weapon, live drummers, special performance by dance virtuosos Afro Mosaic Soul and leading the evening’s tribute are DJ Rich Medina, the global ambassador of Jump N Funk and DJ Ian Friday, minister of sound for Libation , ground zero for the Soul Revolution.
Fela Kuti was born October 15, 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. In 1961 he formed Koola Lobitos in London, two years later, he created “Afrobeat”, which was inspired by James Brown, the Yoruba culture, high life and jazz. He founded a commune/recording studio called the Kalakuta Republic, complete with his own private nightclub, The Shrine.
His music served as a rallying cry for the disenfranchised, critiquing the military government and made Fela not only a pop star but a political figure as well. People took to the streets singing his songs and the military responded by viciously harassing Fela, jailing him and nearly killing him on several occasions. One million people attended his funeral in Nigeria.
The legacy of Fela Kuti continues to live on with the October 27th release of Best of the Black President on the newly revamped Knitting Factory Records. Over the next 18 months, remasters of all Fela CD's will be re-released in unique digi-packs w/ the original artwork. KFR will also release all the titles on vinyl for the first time in North America.
To further prove the cultural significance of this legend, the upcoming Broadway musical FELA! brings the colorful life of Fela Kuti front and center through a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre. FELA! features arrangements by Aaron Johnson and Antibalas with direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones.
October 15th only comes once a year. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the life and work of an extraordinary man.
Doors: 7:30pm
Screening: 8pm
Party: 9pm
$12 in advance/$15 at the door.
To order tickets please visit the S.O.B.'s box office or http://www.ticketweb.com.
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