Femi Kuti at the New Africa Shrine

I arrived in Lagos about two weeks ago. Lagos seems better than last time I was here, no doubt because of high oil prices rather than structural reforms in the economy or increased competitiveness of Nigerian businesses. A high tide floats all boats. 

To my surprise, on my second morning in town I looked out of the window as the car pulled up to the office and there was the New Africa Shrine! The most famous music venue in all of Africa is right across the street from where I work... an incredibly fortuitous coincidence in this sprawling, chaotic city of some 18 million. Lagos can be a daunting place so I waited to go in until I could get some Nigerian friends to go with me. Femi Kuti plays on Sunday nights when he is not touring. I went last night. 

Femi Kuti on stage at the New Africa Shrine

The Venue: Run by son Femi in the mainland neighborhood of Ikeja, the New Africa Shrine is the successor to Fela Kuti's legendary Africa Shrine. It is a large, cavernous venue decorated with Fela memorabilia, with a high stage up front. The cover charge last night was just over $3 and a large Heineken was also about $3. Definitely a people's venue. The atmosphere reminded me of the 1970s. There is no place like it in the Western world.  

The Artist: Femi Kuti is an international star but his music at the Shrine is all for the local crowd. His hard work on stage is impressive; Femi sang and played nonstop for more than two hours after I arrived, which was well after his set began. He was totally drenched from the exertion. The hardest working man in show business...totally into his music and his dedicated Lagos audience. 

Femi has the energy of a man less than half his age. My friend told me he is 51 which makes him almost as old as me, but he sings, jumps, and dances nonstop. Not a star who sings a snippet here and there and lets the band take over. He has the touch for direct audience communication.  

Apologies for the bad hand phone shots...

The Music: Femi's music has evolved from Fela's. It seems like every instrument is a percussion instrument, even the horns. Femi sang last night much more than he played. His music is dense and doesn't feature as many solos as his father's classic sides; Femi's tunes are more structured and there is less space for the instrumentalists to stretch out. Last night, he played some trumpet and later on in the set, alto sax. No tenor. The band featured three trumpets, trombone, baritone and tenor saxes, electric bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, two additional percussionists, and anywhere from two to six dancers, with Femi up front. There were dancers on platforms at each side of the stage.

Femi didn't take a break while I was there and exited backstage as soon as he finished his set so I didn't get to meet him. But while the horns were packing up I introduced myself to tenor player Dotun Bankole. When I told him I played sax, he put his cool 1950's Kohlert tenor back together and asked me to blow. On the spot audition. I hadn't touched my horn in two weeks but somehow a Bb jump blues came out and the end result is that he invited me to come Thursday for the band's rehearsal and bring my horn.