After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the documentary Finding Fela will be released to art house theaters across the US this August. Ahead of the documentary’s debut, the soundtrack distributed by Knitting Factory Records drops Tuesday July 29th featuring 16 tracks by Fela Kuti.
The film Finding Fela follows Kuti's creation of Afrobeat in the late 1960s, as well as his fight against the Nigerian government of the 1970s and '80s. Featuring previously unreleased footage of his concerts and funeral, the documentary includes interviews from his children and those he influenced like Questlove and Paul McCartney, before and after his death from AIDS in 1997.
The documentary begins its theatrical run on August 1 and travels the country like a music artist’s tour. Starting at the IFC Center in New York City, it’ll play a week in Denver, Washington, D.C., Martha's Vineyard and Santa Fe, N.M. From August 8-15, it’ll be shown in the California cities of Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco as well as Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Nashville. And from August 22 to 28, Finding Fela hits Minneapolis, Albuquerque, N.M., and Columbus, Ohio. Cities like Oklahoma City, Houston, Seattle, Montreal, and Memphis will also be able to see the film backed by an amazing soundtrack of a legend’s music.
Check the complete tracklist below:
1. Jeun Ko Ku (Chop 'n Quench)
2. Opposite People (edit)
3. Highlife Time
4. Lover
5. Viva Nigeria
6. Upside Down (edit)
7. Egbe Mi O (Carry Me I Want To Die)
8. Johnny Just Drop (edit)
9. VIP (Part 2 Live In Berlin)
10. Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense (edit)
11. Go Slow (edit)
12. Zombie
13. Power Show (edit)
14. Beasts of No Nation (edit)
15. Shuffering and Shmiling (edit)
16. Colonial Mentality
