Nollywood actress and director, Genevieve Nnaji, has been enlisted to feature on an audio adaptation of Broadway musical ‘FELA!’ premiering on the Clubhouse app this weekend.
The production highlights the struggles of Nigerian music star and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo- Kuti, who was an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s military regimes and was frequently arrested for his troubles.
‘Fela Ten-Twenty’ director and producer, Funa Maduka, told CNN that the audio adaptation is a nod to the original Broadway musical.
According to the producer, ‘Ten Twenty’ represents the date of the shooting of protesters by security forces at the Lekki Toll Gate in October 2020, in the wake of the nationwide #EndSARS anti-police brutality demonstrations.
She added that the adaptation on Clubhouse will frame “the #EndSars movement in the context of Fela Kuti’s legacy.
“Fela’s music… demanded global engagement with African political thought. In the aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSars protests … his message still achingly resounds. This production is a love letter to those fighting for a better Nigeria,” Maduka said.
Nnaji will play the role of one of the musician’s dancers known as the ‘Kalakuta Queens,’ in Fela Ten-Twenty, organizers have revealed.
Fela famously married 27 women in a single ceremony in 1978.
The actress said, via a statement, that she was “honored to be part of the production.”
“The contemporary issues highlighted… are what sold me. This is an artful retelling of Fela’s story and I’m honored to be a part of it,” she said. “I grew up on radio plays and the experience is nostalgic for me – the power of voice to influence minds and touch hearts is undeniable,” Nnaji added.
