Fela Kuti

While all of the 2021 nominees have arguably contributed to the music industry in their own way, Black art and Black artists, as well as their erasure, remain a central topic of conversation.

The documentary “Finding Fela” tells the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s life, his music, his social and political importance. He created a new musical movement, Afrobeat, using that forum to express his revolutionary political opinions against the dictatorial Nigerian government of the 1970s and 1980s. Fela Kuti’s son Femi and the documentary’s executive director, Steve […]

Podcast: Download Immigration reform is a hot button issue. Do you think passing comprehensive immigration reform will hurt African Americans? Roland Martin takes your calls in this edition of the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast. Charles Chiu, M.D./Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine and Medicine /Infectious Diseases at UCSF joined Roland Martin and the “NewsOne Now” panel to discuss the […]

LAGOS, Nigeria — The Broadway cast of “Fela” introduced Afrobeat superstar Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to hundreds of thousands of new American fans. Now the show’s stars are facing their toughest critics yet: Nigerians in this megacity who know his lyrics by heart and consider him a national icon.