"Fela! The Concert" Afrobeat Legend to come alive in Lagos with 'foreign cast'

Gideon Okeke, Seun Kuti and Brenda Uphopho react to "Fela!The Concert," which features a foreign cast.

‘Fela! The Concert’ to hold in celebration of Lagos State at 50

‘Fela! The Concert’, which stars cast members of the Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical has been scheduled to hold in celebration of Lagos State at 50 in April 2017.

The event which will hold on Easter weekend at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, is a collaboration between Smooth FM and Lagos State Government.

Fela is an iconic figure in Nigeria's weed culture
(thesmonkey)

Nollywood actor Gideon Okeke, who recently delivered an exceptional theatrical re-enactment of Fela Anikulapo Kuti ‘s life and evolution, isn't pleased about the cast.

The actor took to Instagram to share the news with a caption that places emphasis on the "foreign cast."

"THEY HAVE COME AGAIN OOOOO!!!! LAGOS @ 50 celebrates FELA April 13-15 with "Foreign Cast". And the tickets will sure go for more than N500. Dem go hear....Pansa Pansa!," the actor wrote.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his Saxophone
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Fela's youngest son Seun Kuti responded to Okeke's Instagram post, stating that the black cast represents what Fela stood for.

He also insisted that auditions were open for everyone.

"The cast is African. The cast is black that's what Fela stood for. I am not the biggest fan of the show but I will say this, auditions were open for everyone u can't blame them if naija artistes didn't submit themselves. You wan audition? I got u!!!," Seun wrote.

Producer of the British Council Lagos Theatre Festival Brenda Uphopho, also expressed her dissatisfaction.

"I swear!!!! This just messed up my day!!! WTF???? What auditions? Where and when???? With all the material we have....i am so ticked off!!!!," she wrote.

Gideon Okeke as Fela Kuti

Conceived by Bill T. Jones, the musical explores Fela’s controversial life as an artist, a political activist and revolutionary musician, and will feature most of Fela Kuti’s songs.

Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) popularly known as Fela Kuti was a musician, composer, human rights activist, and political maverick.