When Fela the (off) Broadway Play made it's off-broadway stop in Atlanta sometime in 2011, I was too self-absorbed and pained by the apt Nigerian appropriation to attend the show. I remember sitting at Kat's Cafe the weekend it opened, and running into the dancers who stopped by after the show for their post-show party. As they meandered through the crowd at the bar everyone oohed and aahed at their costumes, their makeup, outfits, the overall ensemble was new and appreciated by everyone. I kept smirking to myself that this is my heritage, knockoffs from my motherland being admired by the "white man." Perhaps we didn't appreciate this enough in Nigeria, so the white man in his post-modern appropriator of all cultural eccentricities had to come in and make this their own to the full extent, pretty sure that if it continues this way through their system it may be significantly diluted to the extent future generations may appropriate their thinking to assume that it originated as theirs, for e.g., cornrows.
Cut to me now living in Nigeria, and having no plans for my Easter. The radio announcer (which was sad because I rarely listen to the radio but my CD player was broken so there) kept going on and on about the Fela the Musical coming into town that weekend. From Holy Thursday to Easter Saturday. He praised it incessantly and gave his own mini-review, which was accolades, love and praise for their accurate depiction of the late Afro-beat King - Fela.
The day of.
Got dressed as one is prone to do when they are set to spend an evening at the Theater. I told a friend of mine and he insisted that I take pictures and videos so he could feel as if he was at the event with me. Plus, he could introduce his kids to the man, the phenom Fela. Onwards to the venue. very well-organized - which was a huge plus because I have zero patience for events that organizers have a hard time getting a handle on. But these guys knew their onions and they guided us through the halls at Eko Convention Center at Eko Hotel with ease.
The next big plus was the sponsorship of the event. Food sponsors served small chops for purchase of same. Wine was available for purchase at the VIP lounge for VIP guests, and then, makeup sponsors, offered face paint, "war paint" for free for colorful guests such as myself.
The huge, exceptionally ginormous minus. This was not the Broadway play. Far from it. It was what I choose to term as a Euro band's take on Fela's music. As the lead singer of this European influenced cover band explained, "This is not the Broadway play but a celebration of the music of Fela." Hitherto, a cover band. Brought to us by non-Nigerians. Africans perhaps (Francophone) but not Nigerians. Even the dancers put an alternative urban contemporary modern dance spin on Fela's dance moves which are known for their raunchy, enticing and skillful zest. No sooner had he said this than the older members of the audience, who I could tell came to taste a bit of Fela culture and possibly imbibe some into their Millennial children, processed out of the event, leaving guests like myself, who at this point just resigned to taking selfies and videos.
The day of.
Got dressed as one is prone to do when they are set to spend an evening at the Theater. I told a friend of mine and he insisted that I take pictures and videos so he could feel as if he was at the event with me. Plus, he could introduce his kids to the man, the phenom Fela. Onwards to the venue. very well-organized - which was a huge plus because I have zero patience for events that organizers have a hard time getting a handle on. But these guys knew their onions and they guided us through the halls at Eko Convention Center at Eko Hotel with ease.
The next big plus was the sponsorship of the event. Food sponsors served small chops for purchase of same. Wine was available for purchase at the VIP lounge for VIP guests, and then, makeup sponsors, offered face paint, "war paint" for free for colorful guests such as myself.
The huge, exceptionally ginormous minus. This was not the Broadway play. Far from it. It was what I choose to term as a Euro band's take on Fela's music. As the lead singer of this European influenced cover band explained, "This is not the Broadway play but a celebration of the music of Fela." Hitherto, a cover band. Brought to us by non-Nigerians. Africans perhaps (Francophone) but not Nigerians. Even the dancers put an alternative urban contemporary modern dance spin on Fela's dance moves which are known for their raunchy, enticing and skillful zest. No sooner had he said this than the older members of the audience, who I could tell came to taste a bit of Fela culture and possibly imbibe some into their Millennial children, processed out of the event, leaving guests like myself, who at this point just resigned to taking selfies and videos.
Fela cover bands are one in every bar in Nigeria - North, South, East and West. Fela dancers just the same. Not sure why we needed to see the Francophone Euro version of a cover band at top notch admission prices. Some music promoter must be so proud of him/her self.
.....#AnitaWrites
No comments:
Post a Comment