Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti

Born: October 15, 1938
Died: August 2, 1997

Movies for Fela Kuti...

Fela Kuti: Father of Afrobeat
Title: Fela Kuti: Father of Afrobeat
Character: Archival Footage
Released: November 21, 2020
Type: Movie
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.
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Happy in the Gap
Title: Happy in the Gap
Character: Self (archival footage)
Released: July 7, 2020
Type: Movie
A black essay on trains, beaches and space occupation.
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Africa Rising
Title: Africa Rising
Character: Self - Musician (archive footage)
Released: June 3, 2019
Type: Movie
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.
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My Friend Fela
Title: My Friend Fela
Character: Himself (archive)
Released: January 26, 2019
Type: Movie
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.
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Finding Fela
Title: Finding Fela
Character: Archival Footage
Released: August 1, 2014
Type: Movie
Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.
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Fela In Concert
Title: Fela In Concert
Character: himself
Released: October 30, 2001
Type: Movie
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.
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Fela Kuti: Live at Glastonbury 1984
Title: Fela Kuti: Live at Glastonbury 1984
Released: November 30, 1984
Type: Movie
Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti performs at the 1984 Glastonbury Festival. Originally produced for Arena.
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Fela Kuti: Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense
Title: Fela Kuti: Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1984
Type: Movie
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.
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Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon
Title: Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon
Released: January 1, 1982
Type: Movie
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.
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Fela Kuti: Berliner Jazztage '78
Title: Fela Kuti: Berliner Jazztage '78
Character: Himself
Released: November 14, 1978
Type: Movie
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.
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Berliner Jazztage '78
Title: Berliner Jazztage '78
Released: January 1, 1978
Type: Movie
A Fela Kuti concert documentary produced for German television
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Ginger Baker: In Africa
Title: Ginger Baker: In Africa
Character: Himself
Released: July 15, 1973
Type: Movie
In November 1971, Ginger Baker, the legendary drummer of Cream and Blind Faith, decided to set up a recording studio in Lagos, then the capital of Nigeria. Baker was one of the first rock musicians to realize the potential of African music. He also decided that it would be a rewarding musical experience to travel to Nigeria over land across the Sahara desert - a journey that would lead him into a number of adventures. This film by Tony Palmer follows Ginger Baker's odyssey as he makes his journey and finally arrives in Nigeria to set up his studio, which would run successfully through the seventies as a facility for both local and western musicians (Paul McCartney's Wings recorded "Band On The Run" there).