Charles Bradley - The Screaming Eagle of Soul

My ticket stub from the August 22 Charles Bradley show at The Rialto is now thumb-tacked to my kitchen wall.  It still makes me smile to walk by and be reminded of the amazing performance he and his band put on last month.  On especially good days, seeing the ticket stub and thinking of the show even makes me attempt a Charles Bradley-like dance move.  I do not, however, possess the incredible dance skills as the 65 year old showman.  This man can sing, dance, and preach the good word, often all at the same time.  He is a prophet, he is a boddhisattva, he is a prophetsattva.  Please read on to hear more about this (already legendary) performance and for a freegal link to his new album.

Fela!

I was at the matinee performance of the Broadway musical Fela! at Centennial Hall on Saturday.  I had been looking forward to the performance since Christmas, when I received tickets as a very thoughtful present from my sister.  Even after eagerly anticipating the show for months, the performance did not disappoint me at all.  The music and dance, inspired by the larger-than-life life of Nigerian musician and social activist Fela Kuti, was wonderfully engaging and compelling.  Read on to hear more about the performance and the dynamic life of the creator of Afrobeat music, Fela Kuti.