When I first heard Fela Kuti, I was a senior at Middlebury and it sealed the fact that I needed to visit West Africa as soon as possible, which I did eight months later in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali. Unable to visit Nigeria then, I was transported on Wednesday to Lagos (sort of…) on Broadway and treated to some great Afrobeat courtesy of Antibalas and (an actor portraying) Fela. He was an incredible character and fierce musical guerilla warrior, constantly antagonizing his oppressors and receiving due punishment. The music he created is hypnotic and powerful, wise and inspiring, and just plain fun. At one point, Fela asked the crowd to stand up, which everyone reluctantly and awkwardly did, then he described a clock around our midsection and encouraged us to thrust in every direction. While Broadway theatergoers might be sheepish in their suddenly active participation, I know that my pre-schoolers will love this game!
The next night was a doubleheader; first a viewing of “It Might Get Loud”, a great documentary featuring Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White performing and discussing the evolution of the electric guitar, followed by an intrepid trek through a blizzard down to The Bell House in Gowanus to see Ulrich Schnauss, a German composer who performed solo on a laptop with video projected behind him.
All of these performers are so different, yet each of them inspires me in a unique way. Music is so diverse and it is clear from watching these artists at work that what is played is insignificant compared to how it is played. Whether expressing moods or ideas, it is passion that truly makes greatness.