Show: Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
Date: January 18, 2013
Venue: El Rey Theatre
City: Los Angeles, CA
Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Dan Sinclair
While I cannot say for sure where Mr. Femi Kuti and his magnificently Positive Force stand on the issue of marijuana use, judging by the aroma filling the air here tonight at the El Rey, it has become fairly obvious how the fans feel about it.
The stage is crowded with instruments. There are two large drum sets in the back with bass, guitar, keyboards and all the horns you can imagine up front. It doesn’t appear that the whole band would be able to fit, but the drummers and string players come out and fit in just fine. Three horn players come out and dance in unison at center stage before taking their spots next to the drummers. They all start jamming and it gets funky.
Shortly thereafter, two short young ladies decked out in traditional attire and body paint dance perfectly in sync with every beat. And as I look around at the audience, I notice those two ladies are not the only ones dancing: at least half the audience covering the crowded floor moves to the music like no one’s watching. Our two tiny dancers on stage turn around and shake their booties for us much to the crowd’s delight.
Last, but not least, the man himself takes stage. Femi Kuti, son of the late-great father of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, bows to his band, who, in turn, bows back to him. The crowd goes nuts as Femi starts punching the air with all his might as the drum beats get faster and stronger. Femi starts really moving as it’s clear that he really feels the music. He then takes to the keys to start playing and chanting the vocals. Everybody here is moving now. Moving back and forth across the stage shaking head and fists, dancing with the women, Femi starts to give the fans the message that this is not just a concert but a unique experience, one which many will never get to see again.
“Good evening, Los Angeles. Are you feeling all right this evening?” They are and they loudly let that be known. Femi goes on to explain how it’s great to have fun here but that “Music has to mean something.” He also tells us how it’s not just his heart, but his “Whole body that aches” for all the people suffering around the world, mentioning specifically the hundreds dying in the Congo, the children of Syria, the people of Haiti he has not forgotten, the hostages in Algeria, all the people in Nigeria, and even the victims of the recent shootings here in the USA. And Femi’s music is more than just a good time—it’s about making positive change and trying to move people to rise up and stand for what they believe in.
The set spans over Femi’s many years of music making, while adding some new songs for the upcoming new album—the first one since 2010’s Africa for Africa. This crowd loves it all, whether they know the words or not, with everybody dancing and sweating the whole night. And the entire set the dancing ladies never stop moving! They have more energy during one set than I’ve had my entire life.
And at the age of 51 Femi Kuti shows no sign of his age, never giving less than his all on every single song played, furiously shaking his head when playing his keyboards or playing nearly every single horn known to man (most notably the saxophone).
As the show winds down, I head for the front door, and a man at the bar stops to ask me something: “Who are these guys—Femi or something?” I confirm the spelling of Mr. Kuti’s name for him as he types it into his phone and simultaneously asks me if they are well known around the world. As I wonder why he’s here if he’s never heard of them, I assure him that they are known worldwide, but in my head I know that they are probably not as well known as they should be. Here’s to the world catching on to Afrobeat sooner rather than later.