SOB's|FELA!|Rich Medina

FELABRATION! featuring In honor of Fela Kuti's Birthday / W/RICH MEDINA & IAN FRIDAY / Live Performance by AFRO MOSAIC SOUL

Thursday, Oct 15, 2009 8:00 PM EDT (7:30 PM Doors)
at S.O.B.'s
in New York, NY

It is rare that an artist erupts onto the musical landscape, defines a genre, shakes the world its core and departs too soon leaving a legacy that can fill the night sky. Jazz had John Coltrane. Rock had Jimi Hendrix. Afrobeat had Fela Kuti and on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15th Jump N Funk, Libation, The Museum for African Art & S.O.B.'s pay homage to the life of Nigeria?s warrior poet and the Godfather of Global Soul with FELABRATION! FELABRATION takes its audience through an interactive journey of the life of Africa?s most prolific musical pioneer: first, with a documentary, "Music is the Weapon," live drummers, then with a special performance by dance virtuosos ?Afro Mosaic Soul.? Leading the evening?s tribute are DJ Rich Medina, the global ambassador of Jump N Funk and DJ Ian Friday, minister of sound for Libation, ground zero for the Soul Revolution. Fela Kuti was born October 15, 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. In 1961 he formed Koola Lobitos in London, two years later, he created ?Afrobeat?, which was inspired by James Brown, the Yoruba culture, high life and jazz. He founded a commune/recording studio called the Kalakuta Republic, complete with his own private nightclub, The Shrine. His music served as a rallying cry for the disenfranchised, critiquing the military government and made Fela not only a pop star but a political figure as well. People took to the streets singing his songs and the military responded by viciously harassing Fela, jailing him and nearly killing him on several occasions. One million people attended his funeral in Nigeria. October 15th only comes once a year. Don?t miss the opportunity to celebrate the life and work of an extraordinary man.