Fela! The Musical Could Be Going to Nigeria

The legendary Afrobeat performer's legacy continues to grow worldwide.

By Hatty Lee, Jamilah King Jan 05, 2011

After a spectacular run on Broadway, the hit musical "Fela!" finally closed its curtains last week. But now there’s news that producers for the show are trying to bring the legendary Nigerian singer’s story to his home country. Stephen Lendel, the show’s lead producer, is reportedly in talks with producers in Lagos, Nigeria. If it all pans out, it’ll be a monumental move. The pioneering Afrobeat singer faced unrelenting political repression at the hands of Nigeria’s military government throughout the 1970’s and ’80s before succumbing to complications from AIDS in 1997.

"No Broadway show has ever been to Nigeria in this fashion, " Lendel told the New York Times. " It’s premature to announce anything, but it’s our hope to bring the show there soon." Production of the play is currently underway at the National Theater in London.

Below we’ve rounded up images to recount how Fela’s legacy, and how it continues on stage and elsewhere around the world.

Fela shrine. Photo: Creative Commons/erichludwig


Fela’s son Seun Kuti. Photo: Creative Commons/satanoid


All Broadway photos by Monique Carboni.