Larry Rohter of the New York Times discusses Femi’s experience growing up and performing in the shadow of his father.

NPR’s Milo Miles examines the legacy of Fela’s music, the new album “Secret Agent” by drummer Tony Allen, and other artists in the current Afrobeat Scene.

Featuring artists from all over the Diaspora, this exhibition seeks to pay tribute to one of the African Diaspora’s most influential living ancestors as well as critique the complexity of his persona. Life After Death is a visual homage to a musical genius and perhaps one of contemporary history’s most powerful protest artists, Fela Kuti.

Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI)
408 West 58th Street, NYC
June 11-August 6

Head to the Canvas Paper and Stone Gallery in Harlem to check out Howard T. Cash’s exhibition, Fela: The Man – The Artist, featuring photos of Fela’s life and times in the 1980s. But hurry, the exhibit ends June 26th!

The King Meets The President In Africa is a brand new Michael Jackson “vs” Fela Kuti mash-up/remix project from Rich Medina and The Marksmen.

Head to The Shrine in Chicago every Wednesday from 9pm-2am for Revolutionary Sounds: From Fela to The Funk, and party Fela-style!

As if a bunch of new books, reissued albums, remixes and, oh yeah… that whole Broadway musical thing… weren’t enough, Focus Features has just announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor will star in an upcoming feature film about the life of Fela.

Jojo Kuo, one of Fela’s drummers, gives a first-hand account of what it was like to be in Fela’s band.

Check out pictures from the Na Poi Release Party at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn! 5 Amazing DJs, African face-painting, and guest appearances by stars of Fela! The Musical were just some of the highlights of the evening. Check out the slideshow and hear more about the festivities from Rolling Stone after the jump…

To celebrate the Na Poi batch of re-releases, 6 of New York’s finest DJ’s will spin Fela-laced sets on Monday, May 10 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

The Tony nominations are in, and Fela! on Broadway is at the top – with 11 nominations – the most of any new musical – it was a total sweep for Fela!

Showcasing the influence of Fela’s music on hip-hop, DJ Dhundee’s Afrotreats Mixtape features Fela samples on songs with Jay-Z, Common, The Roots, Missy Elliot, and more. Like what you hear? Come to the Knitting Factory Brooklyn this Monday, May 10th, to see DJ Dhundee perform live at the Na Poi release party! Download the mixtape, and see more details about Monday’s event after the jump…

On May 11th, the second set of Fela reissues – the Na Poi Batch – will be released, featuring 7 CDs (14 albums total) of classic material from Fela’s most prolific period. The Na Poi batch showcases the many different sides of Fela, from his powerful social commentary on songs like “Icy Blindness,” “Expensive Shit,” and “Yellow Fever,” his personal philosophy on “Water Get No Enemy,” and even his sensual side on “Na Poi.” This is the music that made Fela a staple in Nigeria, Africa, and all over the world, and will continue to inspire fans for generations.

Special packages through Knitting Factory Records website only…

PRE-SALE BEGINS TODAY!

On April 17th – official Record Store Day – at participating independent record stores you can find the extremely limited, 140-gram, 10-inch EP featuring Kuti’s “My Lady Frustration” and “Wayo” on the A-side and “Lover” + ”Eko” on the flip. RUN RUN RUN to your local participating indie record store as supplies won’t last…participating retailers after the jump.

?uestlove talks about Fela, hip-hop, and being funky in this video.

NPR’s All Songs Considered pays tribute to Fela and the new releases.

The first batch of Fela Kuti re-issues have hit the street.

New PBS series “Soundtracks” features the life of Fela Kuti and his living legacy, Seun Kuti, in upcoming pilot airing January 25.

The Pitchfork review is in: “Of all verbs commonly used to try and convey music’s intensity, I prefer “boils” for Fela’s— nothing abstract, just a matter of excited molecules banging against each other to produce a state simultaneously sustainable, dangerous, and transformative.”

Amazon.com is celebrating the music of Fela!

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith have joined the producing team of Fela!, the new Broadway musical based on the life and music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Fela featured in Billboard Magazine

Ringtones for some of Fela’s most popular songs, such as “Zombie”, “Water Get No Enemy” and “I.T.T.” are available for the first time!

FELA! opens November 24 on Broadway!

Knitting Factory Records is very excited to announce that throughout 2010 we will remaster and reissue all 45 Fela titles in unique digi-packs with the original artwork and be issued on vinyl.