FELA!

November 12, 2012 By

Fela! at Music Hall Center
Music can do more than entertain. It can change the course of history.

Find out how one man defied a corrupt and brutal military regime through his words and music when the Music Hall Center presents FELA! February 12-17.

A smash on Broadway, FELA! tells the true story of Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician, whose soulful Afrobeat rhythms and spot-on lyrics to oppose corruption advance democracy in his home country.

This run will feature Michelle Williams , the Grammy winner and former Destiny’s Child member, will play Sandra Isadore. Sandra is the love interest to Fela Kuti.

Tickets range from $30 to $100. Click here for reservations and details.

TICKETS: $30, $40, $50, $75, & $100 BUY NOW

The show is filled with Fela’s music and song. Tony Award Winner Bill T. Jones is the director and choreographer. The production is produced by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett-Smith. Critically acclaimed, the show won three 2010 Tony Awards.

Fela used his music to advance human rights, and live life to its fullest. He was inspired by his mother, a feminist, anti-colonialist and civil rights champion.

FELA! is the largest program ever be mounted in the 84-year history of The Music Hall, said Vince Paul, president of the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. The production is estimated to represent an investment of more than $1.6 million.

The Detroit production of the original Broadway show is made possible through community support from: Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and new gifts from the General Motors Foundation, Ford Motor Co. Fund, McDonalds Corp. and DTE Energy Foundation.

The musical “discusses very topical issues that are happening in our community such as government corruption, education analysis … social injustices … issues that resonate here in Detroit,” Paul told Crain’s Detroit Business  in 2012.

 

Filed Under: Culture, Fun, History, Music, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , , , , ,

Becoming Michigan: From Revolution to Statehood

April 25, 2012 By

Michigan Map ca. 1812The new program on Michigan statehood at the Lorenzo Cultural Center, it’s easy to see whyAstronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn called Macomb Community College as good a facility as found at any four-year school and better equipped and staffed than most.

“Becoming Michigan: From Revolution to Statehood” brings the state’s early history to life through a remarkable series of exhibits, presentations, lectures and special activities. The exhibition opens Saturday, Feb. 25 and runs through Saturday, May 5.

Like a good museum, the exhibition presents a clear timeline that highlights salient historic events, figures and cultural influences that preceded Michigan’s entry into the Union. After a tour, people will leave with a sense of understanding how the only state in the nation comprised of two distinct peninsulas to life is truly a special place.

A series of presentations by experts in the field will help preserve the Michigan story, including the infamous Surrender of Detroit, in what is sometimes known as the Second American Revolution. The War of 1812 spawned an upsurge in American nationalism and a symbol to support it, The Star Spangled Banner.

Discover the diverse facets of the state’s early history, including the issues of the times, including the battle for the control of the Great Lakes, the booming fur trade, and the dissension between Native Americans and early settlers. And, uncover the role the Toledo War, the nearly bloodless boundary dispute between the State of Ohio and Territory of Michigan, had in propelling Michigan to statehood in January 1837.

For more, visit the Lorenzo Cultural Center.

Program Schedule

  • Feb. 25 – Becoming Michigan: From Revolution to Statehood
  •  Feb. 29 – How Michigan Got its Land: Indian Treaties in History and Myth
  •  Mar. 1 – Great Lakes Vessels of the Old Northwest
  •  Mar. 9 – Before Michigan was Michigan: Lake Superior from the American Revolution to Statehood
  •  Mar. 11 – The Toledo War: The War Between Michigan and Ohio
  •  Mar. 14 – I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railway
  •  Mar. 15 – Invaded on All Sides: The Story of Michigan’s Greatest Battlefield
  •  Mar. 16 – Mackinaw Mission (1823–1837): Window on Michigan’s Statehood
  •  Mar. 17 – Troubled Waters: The Great Lakes Frontier on the Eve of the War of 1812
  •  Mar. 21 – Rethinking Michigan Indian History
  •  Mar. 24 – It’s Maple Syrup Time: Stories, Songs and Dances of Old Michigan
  •  Mar. 25 – Stevens T. Mason: Michigan’s First Governor
  •  Mar. 28 – Revolutionary Detroit: Portraits in Political and Cultural Change 1760–1805
  •  Mar. 31 – The Invention of the United States
  •  Apr. 11 – Michigan’s Quest for Statehood
  •  Apr. 12 – Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War: America’s First Couple and the Second War of Independence
  •  Apr. 13 – West to Far Michigan: Settling the Lower Peninsula 1815–1860
  •  Apr. 13 – Triumphing Against the Odds: The Elizabeth Denison Forth Story
  •  Apr. 14 – Turning Point: The Battle of Lake Erie
  •  Apr. 15 – Take Good Care of My Michigan
  •  Apr. 18 – A Hanging in Detroit: The Last Execution under Michigan Law
  •  Apr. 19 – Adventures in Michigan’s Past
  •  Apr. 20 – Journey to Paradise (Michigan!) on the Erie Canal
  •  Apr. 22 – Making Michigan and the Civil War of 1812
  •  Apr. 28 – 1812: American’s Second War for Independence
  •  May 3 – Bunyan and Banjoes
  •  May 4 – What Was it Like in Early Michigan Times?

Speakers and programs are subject to change. Events are free of charge and held in the Lorenzo Cultural Center (44575 Garfield, Clinton Twp.) unless otherwise noted.

Pre-registration is required for all events, excluding exhibits and video showings.

Filed Under: Fun, History, Reviews, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , ,

Kroger Wants Scholars!

February 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Scholars WantedThe “I Can Make History” contest is open to Michigan students in the Michigan Kroger Division in the 4th through 12th grades. Kroger will award more than $60,000 in scholarships, laptop computers and family field trips to student winners in four categories: art, essay, music and poetry.

All entries should tie into the contests themes. Artwork entries must be original drawings, paintings, paper collages, and/or photographs. Essay entries must be the student’s own work and at least 500 words in length. Music entries must be an original work and a minimum of one minute (not exceeding four minutes).  Poetry entries must be the student’s original work and no longer than 30 lines in length.

All entries must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, February 24, 2012.  Learn more at http://www.icanmakehistory.com

Filed Under: Art & Design, For Students, Music, News, Painting, Sculpture, Words Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Moving to his Own Beat

February 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Fela and WivesThis man did it his way. From his art and social life to leading the stand for freedom and justice, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti lived what he believed.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents “Moving to His Own Beat – Fela: The Man, The Movement, The Music.” Running through April 1, 2012, the new exhibition celebrates the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, whose music and politics stood in opposition to the brutal military regime in Nigeria.

Created in partnership with Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts to prelude the arrival of the Broadway smash musical, Fela!, to Music Hall in February, 2012, this exhibition celebrates the life and music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, a dynamic figure who transcended the boundaries of political expectation and culturally coerced standards of morality. His undying passion for African peoples, understanding of the power of art and politics, and unyielding struggle against the colonial forces in Nigeria during the 1950s and 1960s, solidified his legacy as a shimmering agent of change against the status quo. Born into a family of profound social activists, he observed his parents organize successful social movements, his brothers champion democracy and medicine, and his cousin develop into a Nobel winning author. Thus, Fela’s view of politics and social activism was ingrained. He spoke out against the ruling government, returned to African traditions that had been interrupted during Colonialism, and brilliantly used his music as a medium for social change.

Always pushing the envelope, Fela infused traditional African highlife music with classical jazz and funk, which evolved into a unique sound that he called, “Afrobeat.” This extra-sonic music, structured for bands composed of up to 50 pieces, was paired with politically challenging lyrics and lengthy, theatrical stage performances. Through his band, whose name evolved from Koola Lobitos, to Africa ’70, and Egypt ’80, Fela constructed a sound that would become synonymous with pride. The powerful music and social commentary found throughout his vast catalog of recordings is indicative of his desire to help end oppression among African peoples everywhere.

While some considered him recalcitrant, others saw him as a beacon of light and inspiration. What is certain is that the music of “FELA!” will forever be a catalyst of hope for the oppressed and downtrodden.

To learn more about the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, click here.

Filed Under: History, Music, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,