MEMO TO THE MEDIA: FORGET YOUR FOCUS ON POLITICIANS.
HOW A TEEN SUMMIT AND A BROADWAY SHOW SHOWCASE WHO THE REAL CHANGEMAKERS ARE
By Danny Schechter,Author of the Crime Of Our Time
One of the most popular lines about New York is still "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." So imagine the surprise that visitors from Africa have when when they discover that one of the most popular shows on Broadway is a tribute to a rebel musician from Nigeria who many governments on the Continent loved to hate.
The show is FELA, an incredibly musically charged and entertaining tribute to the musical legend and political dissident Fela Anikulapo Kuti who was known for mocking Nigeria's military dictators, and living what many considered an outrageous lifestyle. It was leavened with ganja smoke and over 27 wives he dubbed the Queens. (He later had only 12 but then divorced them all) They were all beautiful dancers who performed nightly in a club he called a shrine. He also visualized it as a capital of his own country--actually a recording studio the Kalakuta Republic. (John Lennon and Yoko imagined their own land, too. They called it Nutopia)
Fela's "Shrine" has now been recreated as a theatrical piece that the critics loved and audiences flock to. It draws one of the most racially integrated audiences in town where the music and dancing is as inspiring as it is non-stop. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?
Fela believed that " music is a weapon," and wrote danceable "Afrobeat" songs including some lampooning looting by companies like ITT--International Telephone and Telegraph--calling them "international teef teef." (Thief, Thief!) Another political tune challenged educators to teach the truth about the country and its corrupt government. His memorable lyric there was, "Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense""
This show is no period piece, and, in fact, points to how social change does not just come out of the barrel of bombast from either the White House or the Congress. It is, instead, often driven by cultural figures like Fela and the young people who adored his music and courage as a fighter for human rights. Fela did try to run for President but the military would not let him run, fearing his popularity.
The press still doesn't get it. As we have been seeing in the health care debate, the media looks up, focusing on people in power assuming they are the architects of change, but then ignores the real grassroots change makers and shakers down below.
Fela, for one, would have approved of another show on Broadway last weekend, not in Times Square but, downtown in Soho, where teenagers flocked to the Scholastic Publications building for a teen version of the famous TED conferences.
TED (Ted.com) is know for innovative adult education, presenting some of the most provocative speakers from all over the world. This was the first time that approach was used to engage teenagers involved in all sorts of grass roots activist projects from some 30 countries including Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation. Their talks were passionate and focused on the need for bottom up change drawn from real-life experiences from being child soldiers, to disabled kids, to work promoting self-sestem for girls worldwide
To Fela's point about teachers teaching nonsense, several kids wore T Shirts from the impressive Canadian-founded "Think Global School." It reads in the front, "Don't Teach Me What To Think," and on the back, "Teach Me How To Think."
The We Are Family Foundation played a key organizing role in the Teen TED event. That group was founded by another well known musician who actually once played alongside Fela, Nile Rodgers, co-author of the song We Are Family which is still, decades later, considered an uplifting anthem internationally.
In the aftermath of 9/11, Nile remade his song with 200 stars and celebrities to promote tolerance and an end to hate crimes. (Disclosure, I worked with Spike Lee on a video and film of the effort.)
The foundation run by Nancy Hunt, which gew out of that event holds Global Just Peace Summits and teen training programs under its unique Three Dot Dash program --the name is based on the Morse Code for V, better known as the peace signal--teaching kids from all over the world organizing and media skills. The program was inspired by the peacemaking writings and poetry of another youngster, Mattie J.P. Stepanek, who was seen on Larry King and Oprah. Mattie later died of his disability but his inspiration is still motivating young people to fulfill his dream.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
