On Stage: Felabration 2015 at Paradiso Amsterdam

It has become a tradition by now to celebrate the life of Fela Kuti in Paradiso in October with the boys of Jungle By Night. Every year there are some special guests to celebrate with us and this year one if them returns. No one less than Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 are here to start off the celebrations.

Felabration at Paradiso Amsterdam, October 3 2015



Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Last month at the ITGWO festival Fela's youngest son had to be rushed to the island where he played a relatively short set. Tonight there's more time scheduled in which works in their advantage. The group is able to stretch out the songs more and let the afrobeat do what it needs to do: grooving so you have to dance and slip in a trance. Seun is the one who stays the closest to his father's legacy, both in music and form, together with his father's band Egypt 80. Seun Kuti's speeches in between songs are full of political statements, speaking for the African people. He explains his new song 'IMF' stands for "international motherfucker" bringing no good to the people. It's a good song in the true spirit of his father. A few people are shouting that Kuti needs to continue playing and apparently don't get what we are felabrating tonight. Fortunately most people do get it and enjoy the energetic and hypnotic music and the speeches. It's probably not possible to get closer to Fela than this.

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Umeme Afrorave
We go upstairs to the small hall where a new band is playing called Umeme Afrorave. I spot New Cool Collective percussionist Jos de Haas behind the congas which is promising. The Amsterdam band are playing dance music based on traditional African music, which comes down to electronic dance tunes on top of percussion with lots of African influences. It works very well and the clever songs sound energetic, turning the place into one big dance party. I'm definitely going to watch this band.

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Jungle by Night
Of course the young afrobeat collective are on the bill themselves as well and are playing the main hall. The group are an established name by now and are even taking on the world. I have seen them grow from talented young musicians into an experienced group that can turn any place upside down. Tonight they are treating us to a special set with covers of songs that have inspired them. I couldn't really identify most of the songs but of course Fela Kuti's music had to be there and it was nice hearing a great version of the mysterious Nigerian musician William Onyeabor's 'Good Names'. There's another surprise tonight when a 10 year old girl trumpet player is brought onto the stage to play along, as part of a kid's program, and she even plays a wonderful solo. By that time the place is already one big hot dancing hall. At the end there's a jam with members of all bands tonight including Seun Kuti himself. It reminds of Fela's legendary night club The Shrine and I don't think there's a better way to honour his life.

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This night is far from over and by now everywhere in Paradiso people are partying and dancing to afrobeat music. I guess it's safe to say this was probably the best edition so far. See you next year!



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ITGWO 2015 Saturday and Sunday

After that incredible Friday I doubt if we can top that in the two days still to come but we sure are going to try. It's a bit hard to wake up early so unfortunately we have to miss the first couple of bands.

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Saturday September 5 2015



Ryley Walker
We decide to kick off our day at the lovely stage in the woods where Ryley Walker is about to start his set. He starts out on his own with a nice acoustic song. I'm a bit worried this will be "just another singer songwriter" but fortunately the rest of the band joins in and a wonderful performance follows. The mellow songs have enough meat to chew on and keep you focused. Walker turns out to be a funny character that has no trouble entertaining his audience. This is one of those shows where place, artist and crowd totally connect together and magic happens.

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Gabriel Rios
After this amazing start we head to the sports field to see a new side of Gabriel Rios. Where he used to lay down a mellow tropical party he is now showing his sensitive side with small intimate songs. A cello, horns and a double bass are helping him out. It's an admirable choice to go this way, but his performance is a bit pale.

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Alamo Race Track
Then we need to hurry again to cycle to the dunes and catch Alamo Race Track. Their alternative rock songs should be at the right place here and it has filled up nicely. The sun is even shining now and then, which is a delight after yesterday's rain. Alamo Race Track has so many beautiful songs to choose from, but live it doesn't always work out. The band is a bit unpredictable that can play amazing shows but sometimes it's just not their day. Today the music sounds nice but the band doesn't really connect with the audience so the spark is kind of missing. Still it's always good seeing them play their atmospheric songs live.

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Leon Bridges
Aaaaand it's back to the sports field since soul singer Leon Bridges is playing there. His star rose like a comet this year, as over half a year ago no one knew who he was. Now he has drawn quite a big crowd to watch him sing his retro soul songs. Joined by two members of White Denim, his band sounds great and his smooth voice goes down well with many. But his stage presence is a bit too modest so it never gets really wild. Hopefully in the future he can bring more to the stage and then things will look pretty good for him.

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Polar Bear
We go into the woods to see some jazz, played by Polar Bear. Two saxophone players are playing sharp and shrill solos on top of mellow groovy jams. It does sound like an exciting experimental jazz concept, but somehow it's never really taking off. The songs are too stretched out to make them hold the tension and although well played it's hard to keep focused. Also the band looks a bit pale and uninspired as well, maybe too impressed with their surrounding.

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Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Because of cancellations Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 were found as replacements and according to the MC were flown in from Lagos, through Casablanca and brought in by water taxi. That's why they start out later than planned and I have to skip some other bands, but I'm nuts for afrobeat and Seun Kuti is a treat you cannot pass on. This is a great band to have on this festival and the band look happy enough to play here. I simply love the long jams with the horns and the many layers that seem to lead a life of their own, but still blend in so nicely. Seun Kuti is a delight to watch, and like his father is a charismatic front man who is all over the place with spectacular dance moves. He may not be the greatest sax player, but makes up for it in energy. I have seen them play better though where they can truly light up a place. Maybe it's the big trip they had to take today, or the relative short set they are playing, who knows. Still I love it and can only have huge respect for them to go through all this trouble to play at this festival.

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Taxiwars
When Tom Barman is not playing with dEUS, he's not sitting at home. He may be making a movie, or play with Magnus. Or in this case find himself playing in the jazz combo Taxiwars, a project by sax player Robin Verheyen. The result is an exciting mix of jazz and grooves with the typical, sometimes spoken word, vocals of Barman. It turns the woods into a dark smoky jazz night club from the fifties or sixties where private eyes zip their whisky. The band looks like they are enjoying it a lot and the crowd feels this energy. Again this is the perfect place for such a performance.

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zZz
One thing is for sure today, that we will be ending on a high. zZz are turning indoor stage The Bolder into a sleaze fest with their out of control organs, never ending grooves and mysterious lyrics. You can only dance to this dirty gritty hypnotic music and that's what everyone is doing. People are crowd surfing and partying and things get nice and sweaty, the way this musics suits the best. Oh man, that track 'Juggernaut' is so good, I want it to keep going forever.

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We stay around to dance and drink some more until the night program comes to an end. And so does this day that turned out to be wonderful again.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Sunday September 6 2015

It's a cliché indeed but time goes so fast when you're having fun. It's already the last day of the festival and it's impossible to wake up on time to see the first bands. It's gonna be a shorter day but let's go out with a bang!



All We Are
We find ourselves at the dunes stage to dance a bit with All We Are. It's quite contagious what they play, some kind of indie rock with a dance edge. The sound is really loud though and it robs the music of any subtleties if there are any. The pounding bass does make you want to dance and the falsetto vocals bring the Bee Gees to mind. However it is as if the band can't choose between danceable disco or head nodding rock. For disco it's not subtle enough, since the sound is too blunt, and for rock it may be too light. But for now it will do just fine.

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Ought
We stick around and help ourselves to some delicious razor clams before Ought take the stage. The band are in a good mood and especially drummer Tim Keen is smiling throughout the set. It's a weird contrast between the sunny weather at this moment and the dark moody music. But the songs are sharp and singer Tim Darcy's, sometimes spoken, word vocals sound interesting. The creative drum parts are giving the songs a different edge, turning them into original compositions. The band looks to be in the moment and the crowd is picking up on this. This band will probably work even better in a dark club but this performance was already pretty good. I'm looking forward to their new album Sun Coming Down that comes out later this month.

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The Undertones
We leave the stage in the dunes and make our way to the main stage where a punk rock party has already started. Punk veterans The Undertones are having a fun afternoon with everyone and their jumpy punk songs. The songs and the band may have lost their sharp edge and their original singer, but still know how to please a crowd including all the kids. Singer Paul McLoone is all over the stage and the band totally connects, bringing lots of energy. I don't know who's having more fun, the band or the audience. 'Here Comes The Summer' may not be entirely true but The Undertones bring the summer back for a short period.

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TORRES
For the final show of the festival we head into the woods one last time, where TORRES is playing, the musical pseudonym of Mackenzie Scott. Her dark moody songs with touches of grunge remind of PJ Harvey and St. Vincent and this place should be ideal for her. It does work today to some extend, but it looks as if Scott is holding back a bit. Her honest songs are strong enough though and her voice is convincing. All in all she leaves a good impression and this is a fitting final show at this stage.

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Then it's time for the final blow when Afterpartees are the ones to really close it down. Of course they are the perfect after party band, not just because of their name, but also because they have "party" written all over them. The boys turn the place upside down one more time with some guest musicians and lots of energy and sweat. Since they only have released one record yet, the set list includes many covers that fit in perfectly. Everyone is partying hard for the last time, proving that this festival doesn't just dwell upon nice weather, but due to a very strong program, a wonderful environment, a combination of atmosphere and good food, and a group of like-minded people can always grow into a wonderful experience. This edition was no less than the previous ones, despite the weather, so hopefully we will manage to get tickets again for next year.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015 Thursday and Friday

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Seun Kuti Proudly Keeps Kuti Legacy Alive

As the inventor of the Afrobeat together with his drummer Tony Allen, the name "Fela Kuti" has become synonymous with the music. Nowadays there's a true afrobeat revival going on with many young people discovering the music. Seun Kuti is one of Fela's children that is keeping his musical legacy alive. In his case, he's also keeping his father's political views and social activism alive, like his brother Femi. Together with Fela's band Egypt 80 he's recording new music and performing in the spirit of his father. As an afrobeat lover I was really pleased to hear Seun was playing in my hometown again. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 at MC Theater Amsterdam, April 11 2014



The MC Theater isn't a very big venue and the big band is somewhat packed together on the small stage. Of course an afrobeat band usually has many members and as one of the big names in the genre, Egypt 80 is no exception with a horns section, rhythm section with percussionists, guitars and dancers. The members are a combination of young and old musicians, who start out by themselves until 5 minutes later Seun Kuti joins them with his alto sax.



Kuti bears a big resemblance to his father, both musically and in appearance. He's a charismatic front man something that I already found out a few years back. At that time he only could only play a relatively short gig, but tonight he's treating us to a two hour performance, playing his father's songs and his own compositions. This means there's also plenty of time for his political speeches and criticism of the situation in Nigeria and Africa in general. These small intermezzos are inspiring and full of fire. Kuti comes across as a proud and cheerful man, with a strong and powerful will.



This is also clear from his stage performance and sax playing. Often he's dancing wildly on stage or playing his sax with a lot of determination. At the same time Egypt 80 are backing him up in a quiet fashion. The younger players eagerly take their moment in the spot light for a solo. The older members are more relaxed, in the beginning even somewhat unmoved, but later on show they are enjoying it and their appreciation with big smiles on their faces. They have seen it all and know with a big band like this, there's no room for showing off. Therefore the music sounds well balanced and stays focused all the time. The long repetitive songs will get you in a trance that is so essential for afrobeat.



At the end of this powerful and energetic performance, there's not one person who is not dancing and smiling. After the encore, the musicians are raising their fists, like Fela used to do. Seun, who took off his shirt halfway through, looks like a boxer after winning his fight. It doesn't take much of your imagination to see his father their in front of you. Seun, even more than his brother Femi, is following in his father's footsteps, by staying close to his ideals and music. So it is true: Fela lives!

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Felabration: Celeberating Fela Kuti

October 15 is Fela Kuti's birthday. He would have turned 73 this year. To celebrate that event and his music, Dutch afrobeat band Jungle by Night invited Seun Kuti, one of his sons, to celebrate his father. He brought Egypt 80 with him, one of his father's former bands, that he fronts nowadays. One thing was for sure: we were going to shake our booty!

Felabration: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Jungle By Night at Paradiso Amsterdam, October 15 2011

Sean Kuti & Egypt 80 (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
One of the members of Jungle By Night introduces Seun Kuti to open the night. Backed up by his father's old band he is wasting no time. They start playing a great set of afrobeat, the music his father created in the 70s. There's hardly a better genre to spark an African style birthday party. The swinging songs, enthusiastically played by the old and young musicians of Egypt 80, have everyone moving within no time.



Seun Kuti proves to be a skilled sax player and a charismatic front man. And no Kuti without politics, so Seun gives a little speech about Nigeria and Africa in general. Just the way his father would have liked it.

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Jungle By Night (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

His father would have approved of the young band Jungle By Night as well. To see his music so alive a few generations later, surely would have pleased him. And once again they show why they are one of the most exciting live acts in the low lands at the moment. Every time I get to see them they look more confident and relaxed on stage. Their music is more on the jazzy side of afrobeat which is definitely the most appealing side for me.



After an hour there's a break after which they return for another set. I was expecting maybe a jam of some sort with Egypt 80 or at least a guest appearance by Sean Kuti but none of this. But nothing can spoil this great party.

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When I get home late at night I even get to see the Dutch baseball team win the 2011 World Cup. A night I will always remember.

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