While I admit it's not patriotic to go to Canada on the 4th of July, King Sunny Ade and Femi Kuti put on an amazing show at the Harbour Front Centre in Toronto.
On a beautiful outdoor stage about 50 yards away from Lake Ontario, King Sunny Ade came out with his legion of jolly African beatmakers and rocked out for a two hour set that got the whole crowd dancing. The Nigerian community in Toronto represented itself in numbers as the talking drums, voices, and guitars enraptured the crowd.
Femi Kuti and Positive Force went on around 8pm just as the sun was setting. By the time Femi hit the stage a several hundred deep crowd had formed around the harbour. Femi and his colossal ensemble roared out into the night pulsating the throng of fans who chanted and sang along as they danced. Femi switched between trumpet, keys, alto and soprano sax throughout his set. Reminiscent of his father he went on political rants in between and during songs, speaking about injustice, and, reminiscent of his father, the Nigerian government's antagonism of The Shrine.
The Harbour Front Centre is a beautiful place to see a concert. Free world-class music on a beutiful night is always a pleasure, but the atmosphere at the Harbour Front Centre is truly unique. I've seen a lot of live music, and I have to say, seeing Femi Kuti and King Sunny Ade last weekend was near the top of my list of concerts I've seen in a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment