Fela Albums and Show

FELA! ACTIVITY: Although the Tony-award-winning play Fela! closed on Broadway, there is still plenty more of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music to go around. Knitting Factory Records will release on Feb. 1 a series of vinyl box sets starting with a six-album collection curated by The Roots’ ?uestlove, each featuring the painstakingly recreated original artwork. The label will also release a 10-album, seven CD set, Power Show, on Jan. 18, spanning from 1972 to Fela’s last album, originally released in 1992. Finally, the original show will be filmed live at London’s National’s Olivier Theatre and broadcast to 86 screens in the U.S., 85 in Canada and a total of 352 other venues in 20 countries, on Jan. 13, starting in the U.K., with other dates to be announced. See below for a video about the making of the Fela! Original Broadway Cast Recording, featuring Sahr Ngaujah in the title role singing with members of African music group Antibalas. (1/11a)