Fela and Afrika 70 ignite the Berlin Jazz Festival, before tension, politics and exhaustion bring a legendary line-up to breaking point.
In September, Fela and Afrika 70 deliver a charged performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival. But after the show, the band fractures, with key musicians including Tony Allen walking away. Disputes over pay, Fela’s rising political intensity and sheer exhaustion all play their part in a turning point for one of music’s most revolutionary forces.
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This is music at the edge of combustion. Fela and Afrika 70 arrive in Berlin with rhythm, fire and political force, but behind the brilliance is a band under strain. Electrifying and historically rich, this is a snapshot of Afrobeat in full power - and of the pressure that comes when music, politics and revolution move to the same beat.
