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recorded at glastonbury, england
fela anikulapo-kuti is the most popular and controversial musician ever to come out of africa. he has dominated the african musical scene since the early 70's with his unique fusion of traditional rhythm and jazz melodies known as afro-beat. he is a fine saxophonist and a hypnotic singer, but more than that, he has brought music into the forefront of african politics, often at grave risk to his life and freedom, as he is a scathing critic of the nigerian state and its machinery.
this film is of live midsummer concert, specially recorded at the glastonbury open-air festival, where 50'000 people gathered for the climax of the two-day event - a performance by fela, his 20-piece band egypt 80, his singers and his amazing dancing wives. shot through the night by lighting cameraman oliver stapleton (who worked on many films with the rolling stones), with sound recorded on 24-track stereo, this film captured the subtlety and excitement of fela's distinctive blend of jazz and traditional highlife.
Kuti Fela