FELA! One Man's Struggle Against Oppression

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Emily_Cary]Emily Cary
Long before FELA! captivated Broadway with its Afrobeat rhythms and choreography by Bill T. Jones, Adesola Osakalumi learned about Fela Kuti through his family's ownership of the Nigerian musician's record label. The story of the civil rights champion's defiance of a corrupt military government walked away with three Tony Awards. Now the national tour is launched starring Osakalumi and Sahr Ngaujah alternating the role they played on Broadway.
Every time he goes on stage, Fela's struggle and continual push for justice in the face of odds and great personal danger resonate with Osakalumi. He became involved in the show when it moved from Off Broadway to Broadway. He had been working in "Equus" with Daniel Radcliffe; it closed just as auditions took place for the Broadway production.
The lead is on stage for all but five minutes of the show, so alternating the role allows Ngaujah and Osakalumi to rest from the physical demands. Bill T. Jones is a pusher who forces the artists to explore all areas of their skills. He tweaks the show continually, believing that art is not fixed but is constantly evolving."
Osakalumi, an award-winning dancer and choreographer, grew up in a family devoted to dance. His mother was a principal dancer with Africa I Dance Theater, a family business, and they all wanted him to become a traditional drum and dance artist. While he studied with the Dance Theater of Harlem on a scholarship, he admired the regimen and discipline of ballet. Then he discovered hip-hop.
He first saw a friend doing waves and was captivated by the magic of it. He began to explore by working with a bunch of friends from the neighborhood, but when he went to Bronx, Harlem and the lower East Side, he discovered that the local moves were all different. To become as good as possible, he constantly worked in front of the mirror after school.
Once he perfected hip-hop moves, he studied acting and began auditioning, taking the advice of his grandmother, "A closed mouth never gets fed." Understudying Radcliffe in "Equus" was the turning point in the career that today finds him multi-tasking as principal dancer, actor, teacher and choreographer of TV, film and stage productions. When he designs productions for the corporate world, he uses dance and movement to display the product through razzle-dazzle.
A good dancer, he emphasizes, is always telling a story in non-verbal acting. His first rule in working with dancers is to make them comfortable. Not until he establishes a rapport and has their complete trust does he suggest a new move.
Osakalumi is excited about the support "FELA!" receives from the African American community and the interest young children have in learning how to dance like he does. After each performance, they pepper him with questions about the hero whose life story is new to them.
The first question they ask is about Fela's 27 wives. They also want to know about the form-fitting suits he wears. No matter their age, everyone in the audience is moved by Fela's personal journey and struggles for truth.
Emily Cary is a prize-winning teacher and novelist whose articles about entertainers appear regularly in the DC Examiner. She is a genealogist, an avid traveler, and a researcher who incorporates landscapes, cultures and the power of music in her books and articles.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?FELA!-One-Mans-Struggle-Against-Oppression&id=6632211] FELA! One Man's Struggle Against Oppression