i wrote an email to all my industry pals after i saw the FELA! musical tonight.
i decided to share it with you.
ladies and gentlemen this is ahmir.
its is 5:58am in the morning and i just got home.
i witnessed a miracle tonight and it is a MUST you read this.
and when i say miracle you have to think this on the level of
sam jackson trying to convince john travolta in pulp fiction to acknowledge
the miracle that just occured (them escaping death by *this* much)
i didn’t escape death tonight. actually i believe i found life again.
having just returned from a 3 week eurasia run the LAST thing i expected
my web mistress Ginny to tell me the day before yesterday was “you HAVE to see the Fela play!”
if there is a thing or two that i have learned in my 16+ years as a professional, i’ve learned that broadway NEUTERS the
ISH outta the live experience.
many of you have either seen my band perform or know of our reputation.
ALOT of that comes from the fact plain and simple: we are the loudest band on earth.
there i said it. we cheat. most concert experiences (let’s take the glow in the dark tour. standing at the soundboard i saw that the loudest show of the 4 of the night [NERD] was somewhere in 118dbs.)
the Roots are more 131dbs (”low end” registers as noise even though its not the back to the future opening scene of the guitar amp turned up to 11 “are you nuts?!?!” variety)–but think of our concerts as being in your boys new ride with the best sound system and he FORCES you to hold your stomach while he cranks the volume and bass up to 10.
broadway shows are more like 70 dbs (i think the last “musical” i saw was Wicked–while entertaining in that “happy to be with my family” way i was amazed at how WIMPY and nutless the music hit me) —if you can hear the woman 5 rows ahead of you exhale then that is some underwhelming ish.
i have to put into perspective to what my resistant mindstate was when i had my “i’ll pass” ready for gin before she even got to say “and it’s so wonderful!!”
–she deaded all that by adding “AND THE ANTIBALAS ARE THE BAND!!!”
basically its like my gym coach asking jordan to come to the playground to give some tips
or emeril cooks dinner tonight in your crib
or spike jonze makes home movies for you.
in other words…next to the dap kings, the antibalas are the 2nd most important retro/revision band working today. the scrutiny and standard they uphold in creating AUTHENTIC afrobeat music can only impress the music snob in me. they have the baton when it comes to carrying on fela’s torch.
yes even more than fela’s two sons who record today.
—i was NOT prepared at all for this experience.
from a sonic view:
a LOUD kick you in the ass standpoint? and no member of the roots payroll is not on the soundboards? wow.
this is the first musical that has concert standards in making sure that the music WHUPS THAT ASS.
from a “to the letter” view:
they left NO stone unturned. i am that guy that sits in the audience and dissects EVERY nilc and crannie. i swear it was killing me that these funky white boys were doing something i saw no group of black musicians do in 30 years: gel.
(now granted i don’t wanna ruffle no feathers (this email is going out to about 200 musicians, actors, writers, bandleaders, moguls, agents, managers, cats on they yacht in france, and beatmakers in their college dorms, activists, hustlers, wanna be’s, veterans and newbies)—but how black people lost their “soul” in 2008 is the biggest rubicon i’ll never figure out. i know the first decade of the new mill was the age of irony, but black musicians overplaying and showboating while white cats find their groove will FOREVER baffle me)
it hit me from a political view:
for those of you fortunate enough to see the music is the weapon documentary you will be amazed how they turned his story (EVERY ASPECT—no spoilers here) into the BEST MUSICAL EVER CREATED)
but man. the way they tied his run ins with the government and army and police and tied it to america (sean bell, diallo, king) REALLY put it into an amazing perspective.
it hit me from a spiritual view:
explained african religion and culture in a way that wasn’t “spooky” or “demonized” or “primitive”
it hit me from a creative view:
i HATE when music biopics won’t show the creative process. its like the snob engineer in me wants to know how he incorporated “that sound” not just “oh he had 70 wives and went to jail alot”—he broke it down like we were 8 years old from taking from calypso to taking from james brown to taking from king and x—the play dissected the VERY elements at why Fela’s music was so LETHAL.
man….i swear.
this is the most “uncut funk” production EVER.
because i wasn’t alive during the period of malcolm x and jake lamotta i can only go on “wow it was like seeing him on the screen” as spike and marty did a great job (you did spike….)
but this play is made for ALL you purists that HATE when they get references wrong in the music (hello Dreamgirl musicians! why are you slapping funk bass on a 60’s number?) or when the engineering is messed up (EVERY period biopic effs this part up bigtime and for all you directors and movie producers and agents reading this GABRIEL ROTH is the ONLY cat to capture that sound (see the Winehouse album)
its uncut.
its true to the vision.
its amazing!
there is no option. i expect death to be the only reason why you did NOT see this production.
it opens next week officially. playing to the broadway gatekeepers and the “old guard” if this can make it past those fogy traditionalists then i done seen everything in 2008.—i mean we about to have a black president—so ANYTHING can go on.
thus far the only “cool factor” people that have seen this production is me and ornette coleman. (and ladybug mecca….)
they basically wanted me to mouth piece this because this is going to be a HARD sell.
but they had me at hello.
this hit me like it was the musical version of Roots.
i felt all that cliche stuff when overexcited people experience a miracle the audience dance, we cried, we shouted, we gasped, we were amazed. we fell DEAD silent.
i want you people to see this play IMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEDDDDDDIIAAATLY.
there is a month left and tickets are leaving QUICKLY.
i want yall to forward this mail to ALL of your industry friends.
i want yall to buy tickets for kids that need to see the best connection to african music and the funk that propelled many of your childhoods.
this is NOT just some “oh ahmir is being dramatic shit”—
alan: this is your chance to see and experience a real life TAMI show moment
chuck: you can now see someone besides yourself be the sharp critic of corrupt government and be in the audience for once.
spike: the producers mos definitely wanna talk film
jurn: you can have an experience on par with denver—twice in a month!
wendy: real life chicken greasing!
tom, toure, brian, austin et al: the experience is like being there!
all you assistants on this CC: jedi mind trick your bosses to see this. i COMMAND THEE!
all you sidekics, tourmanagers, and the lefthands to the icons that have you on payroll: read this email to your bosses
you publicists?: blast this shit. this is the solar eclipse of creativity: a play 100% authentic in its reference points and creativity
and everyone in between….yes the “wow i wish i could see this” cats saying that right now.
get
off
your
ass
and
see
this
NOW!
-with love and respect.
i thank you for reading.
now go change someone’s life and pay it forward:
-ahmir k thompson.
PS. in my excitement and it being 7am when i finished i neglected to give a shoutout to Bill T Jones: director and visionary. Job well done brother!
56 Comments
Enlight
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Ooo OOOOOOOOOOoooo
I wanna see this.. !!
Wayne
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Holy shitballs, I wanna see this! I wish I lived in NYC.
Devoya
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I saw a review Gilles P did about a month ago on it, when it was in London and I was hoping and praying it would come to the states. Now I hope and pray it comes to the West Coast!!!
neguinho
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Wow! That hurts!
It hurts that I’m a loyal Fela fan for 5 years now and can’t be in the States to see this musical. Hope they come to Brazil this year. I think Brazilians deserve it: we the largest black population outside Africa and we still conserve many of our Nigerian Yoruba traditions.
Too bad I’m not going to NYC until late 2009.
Well… enjoy!!!
Deo Neguinho
Futures Trading Syst
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Now you can listen to your favorite music and watch the music video at the same time. Futures Trading System
buildingblock
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um..it’s nook, not nilc, and crannie
lol
meechelle
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if i was only on that coast…
hosanna
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wow that’s some stuff…i’m not into musicals but that made me really want to see it.
but yo have you seen kirikou and the sorceress…i swear that movie can change lives…
Candace L
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I hope for the best, but I doubt it’s Broadway bound. B/c there’s nothing really like it that’s been done before or being done right now might work against it (as in, can they guarantee the huge returns Bway likes on its musicals, like Fiddler on the Roof-style?) And some of that anti-government sentiment, though perfectly contextualized within the show, might not play well for the tourists from Kansas and Daddy Warbuckses that populate the Great White Way.
Wonderlove
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I wish I had the $ to see this play. I’ve been blasting it since June but no $. Oh well.
RaAkhenaton
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God, I hope you this play touches the West Coast. I’ll make a road trip if necessary, and gas prices are NUTTY here!
mmhmmm
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dreamgirls pissed me off too and i was horrified by the soundtrack.
i hope the dap-kings and antibalas continue to have a loud voice because everything they work on is honest, and stays true to what sounds and feels good. they hit the nail on the head every time.
Te
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I WISH I had some damn money right now so I could o see that. Until then I guess I’ll have to settle for pillaging my brother’s Fela Kuti collection and listening to it so I can actually have a point of reference whenever I do end up seeing this. . .
Yohance
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“but how black people lost their “soul” in 2008 is the biggest rubicon i’ll never figure out. i know the first decade of the new mill was the age of irony, but black musicians overplaying and showboating while white cats find their groove will FOREVER baffle me”
PREACH IT!
Biscuit
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I SAW IT!!!!!!! OH DAMN, DID I SEE IT!!!!
Last Saturday night! My wife and I went up to NYC for the w/e and I spotted the word “FELA!” in the play listings and I was like WTF? So, being a Fela fan, I plopped down the $100 for 2 tix (VERY, VERY WORTH IT!) AND I WAS COMPLETELY ANNIHILATED BY THIS PLAY.
Quest isn’t lying one bit. I’m an elitist music snob as well and I cannot recommend this play HIGHLY ENOUGH. It not only entertains, but it educates, raises awareness, inspires, surprises and WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO APPRECIATE ANOTHER PLAY AGAIN.
And don’t forget the man behind it all, Bill T. Jones, a Broadway tour de force in his own right and Antibalas’ own Aaron Johnson who did the phenomenal arrangements.
And it’s not “THE” Antibalas, BTW. Just “Antibalas.” And for the record, it’s only part of the band performing, mixed with other musicians.
Quest is NOT LYING, people. YOU MUST SEE THIS!!!! DO NOT HESITATE. TIX WILL BE GONE.
Neon Don
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i hope this play comes to the motherland, it’s badly needed!
So many people in Africa don’t even know the great Anikulapo story, we need this!!!!
King Britt
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I blogged about this 3wks ago, one of the most important musicals since Stephanie Mills in the Wiz!
Masterpiece.
King Britt
dustin
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anyone wanna fly me to NYC by any chance?
GB4Double
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what an endoresment… i can tell you speak it from the heart.
D
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Questo, have you seen August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean,” his last play? It set the standard for me. It definitely didn’t have the sound power you describe, but my girl and I walked out of Sweeny Todd it was so boring and it for this very reason that Broadway kills me. However, Gem of the ocean was truly remarkable. On the other hand, I DEEPLY appreciate Fela’s music and have seen Music is the Weapon and used it in my courses several times with high school students. (I’m 26). So, that’s that - just wondering. ?? Thanks for the post.
Until…
DubK
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It ain’t no Passing Strange… sorry ?uest et al - you guys really really slept on that one.
Bill T Jones is amazin tho
chubaba
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Fela is a classic….nuff said it will only be fair if we could watch over here in NAIJA….Word
Caitlin
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I’m with you, ?- This is what I wrote in my blog after seeing it…
I swear to gah, please go see FELA THE MUSICAL NOW!
I have been trying to figure out a way to describe the show I saw last night. Amazed that I know three cast members of such an incredible production. #50,234 why I love this city again! Seriously blown outta the water.
Anyway, anyone who knows Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music has felt the power of his message. For years I’ve been dreaming of what it would be like to experience him live (had he not died before my ears had absorbed his music), disappointed upon receiving the “Music is the Weapon” DVD as a Christmas gift from Mom five years back, who’s lack of and poor video footage of the live show didn’t deliver the way I’d hoped. But this production. This production is simply fabulous. The man who plays Fela channels him so strongly that I began to believe I was watching the live show I’d dreamed of. His movements, his singing voice, even the way he looked. His saxophone fake-out was even convincing! Of course, the rest of the cast were fabulous dancers, the costumes unreal, the set beautiful and believable… and Antibalas was the in-house band needIsaymore?
I heard all of my Nigerian friends in Fela-man’s accent, particularly Chris Michael, the way he’d orate and story-tell. Tina, who lived in S. Africa for six months, and I sat drooling, scheming ways to get back to the continent. I called Malaika who is seeing the show next week. “Girl. This is going to make you want to go on our African tour SO BAD. Call me after you see it and let’s start working!” (Caits & music are now about to be hand-in-hand, and that is as much as I’m revealing.)
Aside from the music and the dancing explosion, Fela’s politics and power became tangibly real to me. This man was among the great leaders of the world, who flipped a country, a continent, the world on it’s head, bringing much-needed ideals to Nigeria and beyond. He risked his life many times. I think of Martin Luther King Jr’s quote, “Its OK to suffer for what you believe in.” Fela embodied this. There are some characters in history that are larger than life, their presence so huge it’s almost monstrous in nature, making it hard to remember that they are human beings, with emotions, experiences and hardships that mirror our own. What it must have been like watching Fela play in the ’60s and ’70s. How the message hits now, years later, but the energy around the movement at that time… chilling to even imagine.
After this monumental live experience, its very hard to return to a quiet home. The energy bubbles under the skin like wildfire. I wanted to dance! Of course I now catch a flier for a James Brown verses Fela party happening on Thursday night, when I am performing uptown with a fabulous live band at the Shrine World Music Venue. I mean, how unfair is that? Couldn’t it be Saturday night instead? I feel a desperate pull toward the dance classes I used to take with the 7 live drummers when my wallet wasn’t empty. My Dad’s cousin sent me the name of a dance center in San Fran that has W. African dance classes and if I balance my budget right, I’ll be getting down down.
And now I am thinking of dancing with the high life singer in Ghana, next to the ocean, on an outdoor dance floor in the African rain. The way my small history connects to the larger picture, in it’s own skewed, stretched way.
mel d cole
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I was waiting for this!!!
ayo
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I’m seeing FELA! tonight and i somewhat can’t wait partly because I know the show would be GREAT. I’ve been a fan of afrobeat for as long as I can remember. I turn 28 on tuesday and what a birthday treat im giving myself. after this, im off to lagos is december, the new africa shrine is 2 blocks from where i live in nigeria. going home and not experiencing the underground spiritual game would be hard to swallow. i’ll be back sometime tomorrow to give you feedback about FELA! and if any of you readers are present tonight and are wondering who i am in the audience. i’ll be that guy enjoying every last bit of FELA! most likely on my feet singing and dancing if possible.
Choox
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Im yet to see this so you gotta bear with me here…
Saw some clips of it a while back and thought the show had lots of promise/potential. However I have to say im somewhat skeptical of the show but dont really want to say much till i see it. Im one of the biggest afrobeat fans out there and i understand what Fela says when hes sings (yes im Nigerian) so was worried when i saw they changed the words. I believe they would still have been undertood without being changed. Also im curious to see how they could put ALL of felas into 2 hrs, his struggle, his pain, his family… But as I said Im yet to see it so maybe Ill eat my words later on.
However, I dont think ?uesto (wit all due respect!) is right to compare femi’s stuf to antibalas. Ive been listening to both for ages. Their styles are quite different and while good… theres no good way to say this…. Antibalas’ sound will bode better with a more western audience and im not saying this because theyre not african. So i guess it just comes down to musical preference and more familiar sounds.
Malia
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?uestlove - Thanks so much for your thorough input and passionate appeal. I think you made creative/conscious folks an offer they can’t refuse. I purchased a pair of tickets a week ago for Sat. 9/20 and even though I live in DC, I know it’s going to be worth the 3 1/2 hr-dash up to the NYC to see history in the making! One last thing…the pic you have above is of one of his sons, Femi Kuti, unless that was intentional. Thanks again!
Chadams
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How’s this for an off-topic (probably not cool, right?) post. Excited to see The Legendary in Madison tomm. Hoping to pass off a USB stick o’ music to you & yours to enjoy.
P.S. Wish I could be somewhere near to see this Fela that I will never get a chance to see. Heard about it this week and was happy to hear about this art coming through and getting noticed.
Amber Isaiah
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Excellent review! Thanks for sharing …
bernbiz
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FUCK SHIT PISS!!!
i need to live in NY
gr8whitefunk
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“thus far the only “cool factor” people that have seen this production is me and ornette coleman. (and ladybug mecca….)”
….and Gilles P.
shorty duwop
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dub k - i haven’t seen this one, but preach on the dopeness of Passing Strange! i’ll have to wait for fela the musical to hit l.a. before i can compare. and maybe they can’t be compared because they’re two different experiences? hopefully i can get to see this one…
keith kunene
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I wish it would come to SOUTH AFRICA
Rochelle Terrell
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Simply the Truth!
Powered by iSOUND.COM
Gigantopithecus
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Fela is the greatest.
on another note, have you heard the new Tv on the Radio record??? shit is fire flames!
steve
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Yo Quest check this girl out and sign her. WOW
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=104512135
FemiFem
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Yo Q Marco & I were lucky enough through Rikki Stien to meet Fela when he was mixing Underground System in Camden London he said my connection to the deepest darkest jungle roots was why I was feeling his music so much not the humongous
bag of weed we just encountered. Maybe you were sharing the very same vibes
jordan antibalas
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Thank you so much Ahmir for your presence last week. David Byrne was there that same night and JZ and Beyonce came through on Saturday, so the list grows. We are all doing everything we can to live up to the musical and spiritual legacy of Fela. When do you think our Black President is coming to the show? Pax Cultura!
Ian Mitchell
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Damn,
Just scoped the ticks… $200… wish i could your review had me ready to run down and try to get there for a b-day present to myself. I’ll see you at Sutra thursday, maybe we can work out a payment plan.!
Peace
Choox
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Hey Ayo if you see this, just know there are some of us waiting for your feedback. Id like to know what it was like for you.
Peace!!
timelight
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I did the projections for this show. Glad you enjoyed it! I was very pleased with the way the show turned out. I watched them rehearse for a month in the theater, envious being that I have a performance degree in trombone and Aaron Johnson the trombone player did much of the arrangements and leads the band. Damn Talu has a great job huh?!? He throws down too. Great djembe playing with mad style and taste for the dance circle interaction. Highly highly recommend it as well!!
Brandon
Richard Rimbaugh
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Thids the Sh!t
Slitheratchi
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….and okayplayah is the shit!
Osaretin Obaseki
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This gives me an idea……Definitely a sign of the coming changes to our society.
Mudashiru Ajala
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This gives me an idea….Definitely a sign of the coming changes to our society.
ronald crawford
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Dear ?uestlove,
I am Ronald Crawford, and I briefly met you at the Rock the Vote campaign at Community college. I am the therapist who works in North Philadelphia with “at-risk” adolescents and men who were recently released from incarceration. With all due respect, in the very near future, someone will be perceived as being very smart for “discovering me.” This, in my humble opinion, is the result of a project that I’ve developed that, with the right exposure, could not only be a New York Times Best Seller but could also be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in a way similar to how Tookie Williams was nominated for his series of children’s books that addressed preventing gang participation. Quest Love, ask yourself, will you be that person?
First of all, if there is anything that I can do to offer you assistance, don’t hesitate to ask. In 2000, I earned a Masters of Human Service Degree from Lincoln University, so I am confident that this training will enable me to assist you in any initiative you are involved in that is geared toward helping others. My contact info is honesty.hurts@yahoo.com , and I am willing to serve. I am writing you because I need “a favor.” If you could take a few moments and read my letter, maybe I can convince you to help me as I make history.
I know that your time is valuable, so I’ll be as direct as possible. I am an adult member of the hip hop culture, and through my project, I attempt to engage younger members of the hip hop culture, and help them improve their reading skills, help them improve their ability to express and respond to their feelings (especially anger), and help them learn the information needed so they can help “resurrect hip hop.”
I have been in the human service field for the past 14 years, but I have spent much of the past seven years assisting adolescents with behavioral challenges. During this time, some of the capacities that I have worked in included rendering counseling services to adolescents in a disciplinary school and adolescents who were involved in Juvenile Treatment Court. However, my most gratifying position was in 2003 when I was a GED teacher to teens that had dropped out of school. While preparing for the Reading Test, we read Mark Twain and other stories written in the 1800s, but my students had challenges grasping the language, a non-standard form of English used in that era. When students cannot grasp information, they loose interest and “act out,” so I became creative in my approach to retain their interest.
I felt that if students were to study a non-standard form of English, it should be a form that they were familiar with (slang). One day, I asked my class, “Who’s the best rapper Biggie, Jay-Z, or Nas?” That question sparked a discussion about vocabulary and defining words, synonyms and homonyms, metaphors and similes, and reading comprehension and speaking in different person. Each day, I printed rap lyrics from the internet and analyzed them with my students. I was amazed that students who had challenges reading were “trying to read” because the reading material held their interests
My first project, is a book that’s titled Who’s the Best Rapper; Biggie, Jay Z, or Nas? In it, I address the murder rate and the level of violence in Philadelphia (and the country) by increasing literacy and exploring the impact that rap music/hip hop culture has on youths of our society. This is relevant because statistics indicate that far too often, those that are either committing the violence or are the victims of it are within the age range that makes them members of the hip hop culture. My exploration of rap music and hip hop culture is non-traditional, and it is unlike the usual one where negative aspects of the music and the culture are addressed. It is also unlike the approach utilized by hip hop intellectuals, as many of those in my target audience do not read well and would be unable to grasp the concepts delivered by these scholarly individuals.
Attached is brief description of my project, and I also forwarded what is in essence the back cover of my book. I’d be honored if you could read these documents and provide me with some feedback, and I’d also be honored if you requested a more detailed description of my work, as I could send you excerpts from the book. I would appreciate it if you could help me get “buzz” by mentioning my upcoming project in your travels. That would be a good look!
If my approach or anything else in this letter is inappropriate, I apologize, and I mean no disrespect. I just feel that having the courage to ask for exactly what I need is the result of me being “hungry and having absolutely nothing to lose.” I am embarrassed that this is such a long email, but I have so much to say and so many stories to share. As a result of this, I’m approaching what may be my only shot at contacting you like a rapper who is being asked to “spit on the spot” and audition for a deal. “I’m gon give you 1000 bars!” I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Ronald Crawford
Sandra Izsadore
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I saw the play three times and each time it got hotter and better. Bill T Jones, did an excellent job in portraying the true life experience of FELA ANIKULAPO-KUTI. He was able to capture the essence of FELA and his life experience. I loved the way he handled everything with dignity and love I was filled with tears of joy that someone got the message and is bringing it to the WORLD in a way PEOPLE can understand. The selection of the CAST and the energy that was displayed showed that they got it too. Each and everyone involved with the show has a spiritual connection, you cannot go to that show and come out the same person, if you do then you are already dead.
BigEL Naijabeatmaker
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Has anyone else realized the that is NOT Fela’s picture at the top? Thats his son, Femi. Yáll been makin that mistake too long. Mike Love goofed the same on his Jay-Z/Fela mash-up album.
Gangstarr Girl
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I couldn’t agree more. I saw it on Sat and it changed my life. BTW, friend is dancing in it and is absolutely in love with you/The Roots. I’m going to direct her to this blog, she’s gonna flip!
oronde
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Well where do i begin about this Fela play man
it took me a whole lot in trying to see this play. From money issues to problems getting my tickets sent to me, i was almost like i really hope this is all worth it and not some milk-toast rendition of a great Pan-African musician. And the answer resoundingly was YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
This play took me thru so many emotions, that at the risk of losing a bit of my tough mystique i say that at one point tears were streaming down my face. As a person who was introduced to Fela not too long ago( maybe 95′) i have been since then an avid follower of his music, philosophies, and life. And when i tell you this play was spot on in its portrayal and flow of Fela’s growth in music it was amazing. The lead actor playing Fela was so on point with his characterization and movements and speak, i felt like if i closed my eyes i could have been listening to Fela actually. As i am coming in with my tickets i see no other than Questlove who tells me theat this is his eighth time seeing this and that he forgot that i was such an big Fela fan. Im thinking yeah Quest cuz we only spun like 3 years in a row together at Odunde playing Afrobeat and Fela lol. I loved every moment of this play and thought that every aspect from the setting to the dancing (oh the dancing) to the band (damn Antibalas! yall put it down) to the very way in which his life and music was broken down for the most novice in the audience. Excellent job Bill T. Jones. This play MUST go to other cities if possible. I could deffinitely see this at the Kimmel Center or maybe even the Painted Bride. Quest you are spot on in your passionate plea for all who are able to see this should and must. alas at the time i am writing this the last shows are playing and i believe they are all sold out but if you got an inside man somewhere and you havent seen it this maybe the time to call in a few favors.
peace yall
Oronde
aka aint that the boy from fluid
cMac
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Yo ?uest
check these out from the tour…
http://flickr.com/photos/cmacsutt/sets/72157607816959286/
Afro Goddess
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Yall, somebody put up Questlove for President!
Go to this link to see the news program about it! http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370743&altf=Binjs13?vftumpwf3&altl=Uipnqtpo
Jamalahmad
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Just wanted to big up my good friend Sahr from the ATL.Im am so proud to see that he is playing Fela in this play and I don’t think they could have chosen a more thorough canidate for the lead.It is about time that the broad world of the arts acknowledged the greatness of Fela.He is truly one of the greatest artist of the 20th century.Up there with Bob Marley,Louis Armstrong,Mahalia Jackson, and James Brown.We miss you and need you bad right now Fela!
Sandile
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as an individual,fela afficionado i need to see this magnificent play, As for the directors and Questo you’ll owe it to your African especially South Africans (check the current state of affairs) to bring the play over the African continent.
Sandra
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This is great. I am always impressed when I here hip hop artist that appreciate Fela. I’m in Houston and am married to a relative of Fela’s so I heard the stories about sneaking off to the shrine and hoping the parents don’t find out, i remember when he died and I appreciate the music. Its pretty cool to hear that this musical give real respect and made you think about what we are doing here.
Where is this play? New York? I would love for you to hit me back and let me know.
Thanks for sharing!
Aqua Island
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GOVERNMENT CHEESE Video
Greed Sucks!
—-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EQslcF7DIM
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asian girl…
adult videos…