The riveting Fela and the Kalakuta Queens celebrates the role of the ladies in the accomplishments of the Afrobeat maestro.
JUST when you think you have seen it all from Bolanle Austen-Peters, the enterprising arts mogul and producer reaches into her bags of tricks and brings out another treat.
Having wowed audiences within and outside Nigeria with the hit musicals, Saro and Wakaa, the owner of the upscale arts and culture centre, Terra Kulture, is back with another delightful offering entitled Fela and the Kalakuta Queens.
Unarguably, much has been written about the Afrobeat maestro whose life, music and philosophy continue to fascinate, 20 years after his death. Fela has been the focus of long essays, doctoral theses, books and documentaries with celebrity American entertainers, Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith going further to chronicle his life with the global hit, Fela! On Broadway.
However, what Austen-Peters has done with this latest production, which opens today and ends on January 7, 2018 is praiseworthy. While much is known about Fela’s birth, upbringing, influences, philosophy, and politics, only a little is known about the women in his life, especially his dancers and backing vocalists turned wife.
Fela and the Kalakuta Queens is not only a worthy celebration of the 27 women, it also accords them their appropriate place in history and contextualises their role in the accomplishments of the inimitable Abami Eda. It appropriately highlights their role in his music, revolution, and struggles, acknowledging them as worthy collaborators in his fight against injustice, rather than “sex toys and artistic zombies.”
It is a damning verdict on the hypocrisy of a society that refuses to acknowledge women’s choices and would rather expect that they conformed to norms, even to their discomfort. Most importantly, it celebrates love and sacrifice.
If you loved Saro and Wakaa, you are going to enjoy Fela and the Kalakuta Queens more. At a special screening last Sunday, the cast and crew treated the audience to magic.
Right from the opening glee, where the chanter Mayuwon Ogun in a dream scene informed the sleeping Fela played by musician Laitan Adeniji, that the women are an integral part of his mission, to when the curtain fell, it was total entertainment borne on the wings of good music, dance and acting.
The production offered hitherto unknown insights into what transpired in Fela’s home and how he was able to maintain peace amongst the 27 ladies amidst petty squabbles and fight for attention. In fact, it’s not only Fela’s art that deserves commendation, he was also a consummate polygynist who knew just what to do to retain the affection of his women and discipline them.
All these we are shown through Adeniji, a multi-instrumentalist and jazz musician featuring in his first ever stage production. His mastery of the saxophone enhances the production’s plausibility as we see especially in scenes of Yabis Nite at the shrine. Commendably, the atmosphere at the shrine on such nights, where there are good-natured wisecracks between Fela and his fans is well captured. Importantly too, the musical is not stuck in the past as current events lead to the performance of some of Fela’s hit songs.
A patron dressed in a suit, complete with tie and hat gets into an argument with Fela about correcting dressing and this leads to the performance of ‘Gentleman’. The manner of US President, Donald Trump’s victory wherein he won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote triggers ‘Democrazy’ and ‘Teacher Don’t teach me nonsense’.
This continues in Fela’s house (Kalakuta) where his women (Laide, Kike, Kevwe, Adejonwo, Funmilayo, Lara and Jibike) call him ‘The Black President’ and engage in various schemes to end sleep in his room for ‘Kalakondo’. To satisfy the women, Fela comes up with a roster but some of them are still not satisfied, shunting to get ‘Kalakondo’.
In his Kalakuta Republic, we see Fela as a caring, even indulgent lover who however cracks the whip whenever the occasion demands. He does this when Jibike and Funmilayo squabble, sending the former to ‘Edict’ (jail) for trying to blackmail the latter into giving up her ‘Kalakondo’ night.
Things take an interesting turn when Malaika, a foreigner appears in the Kalakuta Republic to supposedly study the women’s relationship with Fela and put a lie to talks that they are his ‘sex toys and artistic zombies’. Unsurprisingly, her motive is more sinister but trust women in a polygynous home to react when there’s a collective threat. How would another woman, using guile and her generous endowments, come and attempt to monopolise what’s insufficient for 27 women? No way!
Sadly, Malaika’s palaver is the least of their worries. Law enforcement officers and parents/guardians, annoyed by the women’s decision to move in with Fela, also make their lives hell. The women are serially abused during police raids on Kalakuta while Fela is brutalised and almost loses his life during one raid. Society hounds them too as they are derogatorily labelled whores, harlots, layabouts and what not.
The court scene where Fela is arraigned for the abduction of Laide and Lara and possession of the hard substance is very hilarious. Justice Ogbonna (Desmond Elliot) and his bumbling court clerk cracked up the audience. Equally hilarious is the scene where Fela and the women lay siege to the offices of records company, Decca, to retrieve a debt.
Having built a reputation on excellent productions, it is noteworthy that Austen-Peters doesn’t disappoint with ‘Fela & the Kalakuta Queens’. With celebrated designer, Ituen Basi in charge of costumes and Yeni, Fela’s daughter the choreographer, it’s no surprise the musical is tight and most enjoyable.
On Sunday, the icing on the cake was the attendance of two original Fela queens, Mrs. Laide Babayale and Lara Sosanya. Fela’s pianist from 1979 to 1996, Duro Ikujenyo, was also in the house. They all addressed guests after Austen-Peters had thanked supporters of the production and affirmed that the stories are all real.
“I don’t know how to thank Mrs. Austen-Peters for celebrating us. She’s actually celebrating us because I was a beautiful, elegant lady but due to all the beatings, all the maltreatment we were subjected to, I sustained a back injury. That’s why I am like this. When Mrs. Austen Peters said she wanted to celebrate Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, I said yes. I’m ready to give you the story and she has already done more than excellent. I can confirm that this is exactly how Kalakuta was,” said the real Mrs. Babayele who limped slightly and had to be helped to the stage.
Mrs. Sosanya also attested: “Fela was a great man appreciated globally and I appreciate what Bolanle has done. Nigerians don’t respect Fela’s ladies but I’m not ashamed I stayed in Kalakuta. They kicked my ass; I love it because Fela let me know that we don’t have a government in Nigeria. When we travel to Europe, they respect us but in Nigeria they don’t,” she said giving the black power salute.
and then