October 15 marks the birthday of the late Fela Kuti, renowned instrumentalist/singer/songwriter and Afrobeat music pioneer. Kuti lead a controversial and politically active life in which he travelled the world resulting in a musical styling similar to traditional Nigerian music combined with the soul & funk sound coming out of the United States at the time. His music and life are widely celebrated, and in 2008 a Broadway musical titled Fela! premiered in New York.
Gov’t Majik will honor Kuti’s life by playing some of his greatest hits at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen this Saturday (October 15) as part of their annual FELAbration. Led by Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet bassist Bru Bruser, the band also features Danny Abel (Gravity A), Eduardo Tozzato (BrasiNola), Walt Lundy (Bonerama), Tedo Oliviera (Chegadao), Gabriel Velsaco (OTRA), Luke Quaranta (Toubab Krewe), Raja Kassis (Antibalas), Khari Allen Lee (New Creative Collective), Allen Dejan, Gregory Thomas (Parliament Funkadelic), Kyle Cripps (Smoke N’ Bones), Antonio Gambrell (Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet), and Ricio Fruge.
Also in the group will be Weedie Braimah, a Ghana-born musician who was raised on East St Louis. Braimah is best known as a percussionist–he plays djembe and conga–and is an expert in West African and Cuban rhythms. He is active in the percussion and dance circuit in the U.S. and has founded his own ensemble known as Kreative Pandemonium. More recently, Braimah has toured with Toubab Krewe, The Nth Power, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and others. He moved to New Orleans in 2015 and has since been developing his own music, as well as original arrangements of traditional music. This material will be showcased at the concert when he debuts his latest project, Weedie Braimah & Friends. The new band features Luke Quaranta, Sam Dickey (Benyoro), Raja Kassis, Munir Zakee (An Ka Fo), Michelle Welchons, Max Moran (Donald Harrison Jr.), Jawara Simon and Dwayne Muhammad.
Tickets for FELAbration will be on sale for $10. The show is set to begin at 10pm.
