Seun Kuti “Rise(s)” to Free Africa in New Video from The Wilderness
Seun Kuti “Rise(s)” to Free Africa in New Video from The Wilderness
“I can cry for Africa when I see it in the hands of these people” - Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti with Africa 80 – “From Africa with Fury: Rise”
Knitting Factory Records / Because Music
NEW YORK NY June 1, 2011 – Surrounded by tribal dancers, a defiant Seun Kuti (Fela’s youngest son) steps out of the darkness and strides directly toward the camera to address Africa’s grievances before the world… in “Rise,” the lead track video for his new recording, “From Africa with Fury: Rise” (Knitting Factory Records / Because Music). The powerful album (released today) and video was produced by Knitting Factory Records, co-directed by The Wilderness partners Juliet Rios and Gabe Imlay, and choreographed by “Fela” on Broadway assistant choreographer Maija Garcia.
I could cry for my country when I see it in the hands of these people…
Seun Kuti
African dancers swirl around Kuti as he joins his band, picks up his saxophone and wails into “Rise.” As the dancers circle, they spin movable walls covered with symbolic images of Africa’s commercial exploitation – soldiers, diamonds, guns, oil derricks – as Kuti launches into an impassioned plea for Africa to rise up against its exploiters.
The road to “Rise” began two years ago when The Wilderness produced a video for “The Juan McLean” (DFA Records), whose manager Brian Long, of Yes/Know Management, also works for Knitting Factory Records, which recently reissued the Fela Kuti catalog. Long, impressed by The Wilderness’ concept and execution for the McLean video, he invited them to produce the “Rise” video for Fela’s youngest son Seun forthcoming record.
The business that they do, they sell our country away… Seun Kuti
When The Wilderness entered the picture, the Knitting Factory had already enlisted “Fela!” assistant choreographer Maija Garcia, as well as the dancers and musicians from the show. “In our first meeting with the choreographer and wardrobe designer, Seun being in Africa, we discussed their collaborative process and were asked how we might convey Seun’s defiant message,” recalled Juliet Rios, director and co-partner with Gabe Imlay, in The Wilderness. “They were interested in our approach, as Afro-pop has very specific visual cues, and we had to consider the Broadway component, to creating something tailored and unique. We reviewed a collection of visual references, discussed what we liked, and were told what Seun wanted.”
Oftentimes, bands will give The Wilderness creative carte blanche to craft a visual story. “The ’Rise’ video was particularly interesting because it parallels the way we work with advertising agencies,” said Imlay. “The song was already selected. The choreographer, dancers and stylist had been too, as were the band members (Seun’s band Africa 80 would not appear in the video, being in Africa). And Seun knew he wanted a live feel. So for us it was similar to an advertising production where the agency presents the components and we are asked to interpret the material.”
They sell our country away and bring our people down… Seun Kuti
While Seun wanted a live performance vibe, preferably shot on stage before an audience, the budget wouldn’t accommodate. Instead, The Wilderness presented several approaches to visually represent the song’s theme – the conflict between positive and negative Africa – and Seun Kuti’s exhortation to rise up against the corporations that are despoiling Africa, specifically Nigeria and Lagos, and economically enslaving its people.
The Wilderness created a clever visual metaphor – four movable walls painted over with graphic symbols representing the positive and negative sides of Africa. As Rise” opens, we glimpse the moving walls, covered with black-and-white painted symbols for war, oil, diamonds, etc. that represent the exploitive elements Kuti attacks. “The Wilderness took a rough concept for dramatizing the song with choreography to a tactile, live-and-breathing dynamic video,” said Brian Long, Knitting Factory Secords.
We must rise up, I say…against the petroleum companies. Seun Kuti
Throughout the video tribal dancers respond to Seun’s lyrical urgings by symbolically pushing and pulling the walls, until one dancer elevates the message by painting the word “Rise” in white. “We wanted the walls to be transformed to represent a positive Africa,” said The Wilderness’ Ms. Rios. “We collaborated with the well-known artist Maya Hayuk on the symbolic icons, which an assistant wheat pasted onto individual pieces of paper to create an effect of crumbling street art. The clip concludes on a high note with the walls knocked down and repainted in glorious colors to represent the positive Africa as a vividly colored mural, symbolic of the vibrant African continent, while ‘queen’ dancers wear wings as they rise up.”
To honor Seun’s desire for a live feeling, The Wilderness employed low-key, heavy side lighting that enhances the muted colors of the walls and dancer’s skin tones. “Lighting is a key element in the work that Gabe (Imlay) and I do,” added Rios. “Using contrast to manipulate mood, to blend fore- middle- and background, the light streaming in from one side creates high contrast that represents conflict, signifies strength and, ultimately, gives the video a strong graphic feel.”
We must rise up against African rulers… Seun Kuti
The lighting is akin to old Afro pop and Afro beat videos, specifically Fela’s, which generally used simple lighting setups. “We wanted to be true to the feeling of the hand-held single camera shooting style and lighting used in many videos from the Sixties and Seventies,” said The Wilderness’ Gabe Imlay. “No tripods, no dolly shots. It is meant to feel as if anyone could have been behind the camera capturing the spirit of the action.”
The use of side lighting also serves to reinforce the rise of the positive Africa. “The video opens really dark as Seun sings about what is happening in Africa today,” added Imlay. “For the climax, we use a locked-down overhead shot to convey a feeling of greater control, a sense of ‘we’re all coming together now,’ that is designed to leave the viewer feeling empowered.”
Of yes, we must rise… Seun Kuti
“Working with the choreographer Maija Garcia and her world class Alvin Ally ‘Fela dancers was an amazing experience to see how they communicate and empower each other,” said Ms. Rios. Maija is taking ‘Fela’ on a world tour starting in Lagos, Africa, taking it right home. So its cool that the video is being released now.”
The directors, who had a good idea of how the finished video should look when they donned their editorial hats in postproduction. “We said, wow, this looks exactly as we expected,” said Ms. Rios, “which was great because the work speaks to our creative relationship developed together over a decade through which we’ve evolved a kind of shorthand.”
Although the video may appear to be straightforward, it required a great deal of postproduction. Effects include careful keynotes, colorizing, color-correction, the addition of flares, etc. “If we had had a larger budget we would have added more lights and flares,” said Rios. “People who have seen the previews have asked if we shot on 16mm, when in fact we used a Canon 7D video camera onsite at Cinema World, Greenpoint, NY.
And, the result? “Seun was really happy. He made absolutely no changes. I think that speaks to his message and he is very pleased,” said a smiling Ms. Rios. “Just wait until you see the final frame!”
June 1, 2011