Archival Footage
In 1997, over one million people gathered in Lagos for the funeral of Fela Kuti, Africa’s biggest artist, who gave the world Afrobeat, yet was also a thorn in the side of Nigeria’s military regimes - a revolutionary who fought injustice with his music and a libertine who married 27 wives in one ceremony. When he died from a disease that carried a huge stigma in Africa, there was fear his legacy would die with him. Exclusive testimony reveals the multifaceted man behind the maverick performer.
Self (archival footage)
A black essay on trains, beaches and space occupation.
Self - Musician (archive footage)
How African artists have spread African culture all over the world, especially music, since the harsh years of decolonization, trying to offer a nicer portrait of this amazing continent, historically known for tragic subjects, such as slavery, famine, war and political chaos.
Himself (archive)
Most often portrayed as an eccentric African pop idol of the ghetto, Fela is rarely presented as the strong political leader he was. Through the eyes his close friend and official biographer, the African-Cuban intellectual Carlos Moore, this documentary is devoted to unravel the complexity of Fela’s life. As the story unfolds, it reveals the glories and tragedies that shaped the lives of the pan-African generation as well as Fela's.
Archival Footage
이 작품은 펠라 아니쿨라포 쿠티의 삶과 음악, 사회적이고 정치적인 측면에서의 중요성을 보여주고 있다. 펠라 쿠티는 1970년대와 80년대 나이지리아 독재 정권에 맞서 그의 혁명적인 정치관을 담은 새로운 음악 운동인 ‘아프로 비트’를 만들어내며 나이지리아 민주주의의 발전과 범아프리카 정책을 전 세계에 홍보하는 데 큰 영향을 끼쳤다. 그가 남긴 메시지가 갖는 힘과 영향력은 오늘날에도 여전히 유효하며, 억압받는 민중의 자유를 위한 투쟁에 펠라 쿠티의 음악과 메시지가 접목되면서 여전히 정치적인 운동의 장에서 표현되고 있다. (2014년 제10회 제천국제음악영화제)
himself
This historic show was recorded in Paris in 1981 during an exclusive, all-night concert. Punctuated by the exotic and suggestive tribal dances and rituals performed on stage by 15 of Fela's wives, this exceptional event was captured by multiple cameras, enhancing this special DVD presentation. Fela was a musician, a politician, a spiritual chief, and an agitator all at once, but however one views the man, he was undeniably a symbolic icon of struggle & revolution, as well as one of the most beloved men in Africa. In Nigeria, Fela claimed that he was better known than the President. It was probably true.
Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti performs at the 1984 Glastonbury Festival. Originally produced for Arena.
Music
A huge influence on world music, Nigerian artist Fela Kuti played many instruments, pioneered afrobeat music and served as a prominent activist for human rights in Africa. This 1984 documentary examines the life and music of the remarkable man. Using his music to raise awareness, Kuti embraced social justice themes. He died in 1997 of complications from AIDS. Footage from his legendary show in Glastonbury, England, is included.
Self
A huge influence on world music, Nigerian artist Fela Kuti played many instruments, pioneered afrobeat music and served as a prominent activist for human rights in Africa. This 1984 documentary examines the life and music of the remarkable man. Using his music to raise awareness, Kuti embraced social justice themes. He died in 1997 of complications from AIDS. Footage from his legendary show in Glastonbury, England, is included.
Musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti recorded more than 60 albums to promote the magic of Afrobeat but never lost his political voice as an outspoken critic against widespread government corruption in Nigeria. This documentary examines the role that Fela, dubbed "Black President," played in shedding light on atrocities in his homeland and in promoting the ascent of African music worldwide.
Himself
Surfacing mysteriously after over 30 years, the video footage of Fela and African 70’s set at the Berlin Jazz Festival (Berliner Jazztage) in 1978 is a true gift to lovers of Fela and Afrobeat, marking the best quality video/audio and musical performance of Fela to date.
A Fela Kuti concert documentary produced for German television
