Fela Kuti News

Henry Cole and his Afro-Beat Collective will celebrate the release of Cole's debut album ROOTS BEFORE BRANCHES with a concert at Joe's Pub on March 20th at 9 p.m. Established on the jazz scene but breaking out his own compositions for the first time, quicksilver Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole and his Afro-Beat Collective are celebrating the ... (more)

This picture of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti by Leni Sinclair is part of "Moving to His Own Beat - Fela: The Man, The Movement" exhibit through April 1 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

Against the iron-fisted oppression that beset Africa in the 1970s, the Nigerian pop singer Fela Kuti single-handedly forged a counterculture dramatized, and idealized, in the unconventional 2009 musical "Fela!" Nominated for 11 Tony Awards and winner of three, this celebration of Fela Kuti's message of resistance and freedom - cast in his original ... (more)

The supergroup comprising Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen revealed that their self-titled debut album will be out March 12th via Honest Jon's , a label Albarn co-runs that specializes in reggae, jazz, and soul.

MUSIC Musical genius, human rights activist, cultural legend, African icon - late Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti encompassed multitudes, but to his 1980s-era guitarist Soji Odukogbe, he provided not only inspiration but a way into his music.

The Los Angeles run of "Fela!" -- the hit Broadway musical celebrating the life and music of Afropop star Fela Kuti -- wraps up on Sunday after a six-week engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre.