“Felabration!” Birthday Celebration for Fela in DC

Something to check out if you: 1. Live in the DC area, 2. Love Afrobeat music and, 3. Have always wanted to get your face painted: “Afrobeat 4 ya Soul,” presented by Lunchbox Theory every month! Last week, in honor of Nigerian Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti‘s October birthday, it was a “Felabration” at Bossa Bistro in Adams Morgan. (I’m still mad I missed September’s event, because Ghanaian hip hop star Blitz the Ambassador reportedly rocked the joint at Liv Nightclub at 11th and U Street!)

But last Thursday’s event was still high energy; DC based band Heturu was doing Fela music covers all night, with a DJ spinning non-stop Afrobeat grooves upstairs. When you consider the average length of a Fela song being somewhere in the range of 9 minutes, you can imagine how, to paraphrase Wu Tang, the relentless attack of the tracks spared none! I felt like I was hobnobbing with residents of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic, then I got upstairs and found where all the face painting was going on – for free. Props to Heturu and lead singer Eme Awa for doing live justice to Fela’s songs. Watch them playing Fela’s major hit “Lady,” below. Don’t miss “Afrobeat 4 Ya Soul” next time; I know I won’t. More photos from the event in the Gallery, video after the jump. Bless…

 

This band should move ya; they did...

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