I do not like Fela Kuti, but not for lack of trying. My good friend, very rare CHUD blogger, and double bandmate John Makarewicz worships the dude and has burned CD’s of the guy’s work and played his stuff a lot when I’ve been a captive in his car and though I like the afrobeat style once he opens his mouth I want Zakes Mokae to rise from his grave and kick Fela Kuti’s grave.
That said, there’s no denying the guy’s stamp on the world of music, particularly the funk arena. He lived a colorful, violent, debauchery-filled, and outspoken life. Then he got AIDS and fucked off the planet.
He also had 27 wives and killed some people, so there’s that.
Now the filmmaker named Steve McQueen who’s never banged Ali McGraw [as far as we know] is going to bring Fela’s life and death to the screen thanks to Focus and its wise leader James Schamus.
It’s an intriguing tale for sure, one that can evolve somewhere neat and provide a huge leading role for someone hopefully not named Denzel, Will, or Ken Wahl but someone deserving like Chiwetel Ejiofor or an unknown.
Hopefully they use his full name for the title, because I want to see a marquee in a couple of years that reads:
Napoleon DynamIIe
Another Paranormal Activity
The Blind Side
Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti
Per Variety and their silly jargon.
9 comments
In 50 years no one will know about this website, but millions will still love Fela and go way out of their way to seek out his music. No, that's not hyperbole. Show some respect! and tell Devin to write more Twilight articles. There's not enough.
Some opinions you should really keep to yourself. Fela is the African Frank Sinatra…show some fucking respect.
Zakes Mokae would rise from his grave and kick YOUR ass for daring to dis Fela. You seriously don't have a clue who the man was, and what he stood for.
"Tis better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
And who exactly did he kill?
Gee, look. Nick being ignorant and unfunny. That's unusual. Maybe add Grizzly Park 2 to that marquee. Now THAT would be funny.
How dare you have an opinion Nick! You should obviously shut down this site and kill yourself.
haha you guys are great
There is a broadway play about Fela that opened last week. The dude playing him, Sahr Ngauja is awesome. Hopefully they'll let him take a shot at it.
Poster #2: He may be "the African Frank Sinatra", but that doesn't mean total respect should be shown toward him.
Hell, plenty of people talk shit about some of Sinatra's seedy history. Same with artists like Michael Jackson, Roman Polanski, and so on.
Mentioning one's opinion about documented behavior/acts/whatever isn't disrespectful. Nick gave Fela credit for his contributions to the Afrobeat movement. There's the respect he deserved.
Just because one is a great, revered artist does not mean one is also a great human being deserving of reverence.
you guys. i don't really care for Frank Sinatra, should i do away with my aspirations of being a film critic?
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