STAR singer Dapo Oyebanjo (a.k.a D’ Banj), has failed to meet the role of Fela in a Broadway musical audition for a movie, which chronicles the life and times of afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who was born (Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti).

Titled: Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon, the organisers said D’ Banj was part of the audition in New York a few weeks ago, but opted for Hollywood actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor as the best artiste for the role of Fela in the biopic about the legendary musician and activist.

Ejiofor is an award-winning U.K-based Nigerian professional artiste, whose impressive profile in the movie industry arguably gave him an edge for the role. Ejiofor was in 2001 nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for the 2000 season, for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Blue and Orange at the Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe stage. In the same year, the prolific actor was awarded the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 2000 London Critics Circle. He also bagged the Theatre Awards in Drama for his performance in Blue and Orange performed at the Royal National Theatre: Lyttelton and later at the Duchess Theatre.

In 2000, the British actor was awarded the London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performance in Blue and Orange.

The movie is separate from the Broadway musical. Focus has its own feature rights package that include Fela’s music, rights gathered by producers Lydia Pilcher and Leigh Blake. McQueen said the role sounds like a real opportunity for Ejiofor to shine in a high profile film, after lead work in small films such as Redbelt and Kinky Boots and supporting work in studio films like Children of Men and Love Actually.

http://www.compassnewspaper.com/NG/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52971:new-film-on-fela-ejiofor-takes-lead-role-as-dbanj-fails-&catid=54:arts&Itemid=694

Wow, its good that Nigerians start learning that acting is not all about shouting and making animated facial expressions.

So, Chiwetel Ejiofor will now play Fela in the broadway musical.

there's no point comparing dbanj and ejiofor since the later has years of acting career and experience behind him. pity it wasn't a purely music performance based show, else dbanj would have been selected.

but that would have been a major career booster for dbanj who i believe is more likely to unerstand fela better than ejiofor. all the same it seems they just wanted an actor. i'd like to see ejiofor gyrate to fela's songs

i love ejiofor.

but i was lookin 4ward to see dbanj play fela o

I see a lot of sense in this. Its a very demanding, technical role that requires a thorough, professional interpretation that can best be potrayed by a professional actor in the mould of Ejiofor. I have seen his movies and he is very good.Although i wouldn't know why the consideration of D'Banj in this case,maybe because of his razziness or natural vibrancy,   but its all good sha.I am personally awaiting the movie.best of luck to the producers.

This oyibo them no get sense at all . Why choose their own puppet trained in their way of doing things to depict Fela in a movie . I may not know this Ejiofor guy but D'banj has the Fela kind of Energy and would have done better playing the role .

Why didn't they use the American guy who played Fela on Broadway? He was awesome.

He was Supporting actor  in

Inside Man

American Gangster

pairing the godfather himslef - Denzel Washington

And wasn't he the lead actor in 2012?



Although, in a way I would have still preferred D'banj for all that it means for Nigerian-raised Talents.

1 Love!

D-banj is an incredibly talented singer and Ejiofor is an incredibly gifted actor. I will give it to the person who have a great deal of experience in the business. Exept if you want D-banj to be chanting something like "no longting, fillee as a lead role in the movie or if D-banj display an incredibly superseding acting than his rival

Dbanj may have Fela's kind of vibrancy and energy,but he is not a good actor at all. He cant even act well in his own musical videos. Chiwetel on the other hand is a very good actor and i am glad he was chosen. i also cant wait to see the movie

9jafreak:


Although, in a way I would have still preferred D'banj for all that it means for Nigerian-raised Talents.

1 Love!

So you would prefer mediocre acting over quality all in the name of nationality?? Interesting, i would never ever give someone a job because he is from my tribe or from my country if he is not qualified or better if there is someone out there who is better than him, and in  this case light years better.

I do not support the use of both as D'Banj cannot act and Chiwetel cannot speak Yoruba. Why not look for another actor of Nigerian descent who can do both?. I am sure they chose Chiwetel in order to sell the movie to a wider audience. D'banj cannot influence that sort of attention.

warripekin:

This oyibo them no get sense at all . Why choose their own puppet trained in their way of doing things to depict Fela in a movie . I may not know this Ejiofor guy but D'banj has the Fela kind of Energy and would have done better playing the role .  

E be like say na u no get sense at all, do u think its a music video they are shooting? what acting experience does he have? u think energy will be enough to make him a good actor. i think they went with the right choice, chiwetalu is a superb actor and i cant say the same for D'banj. Just because he's a nigerian doesn't mean he should play the role.

I just thought of someone now, Dede Mabiakwu!, I mean,this is a theatre arts graduate (or so i heard) a musician, and a complete Fela follower.The role would be so natural for him.

Dede would have been best substitutetd for the role, he knew Fela too well that he would even teach the producers somethings they don't know about the legend.

dede mabiakwu is not good looking enough and that's the fact, he might have the talent, but hollywood needs a handsome face to market the movie and dede ain't it

Ejiofor is a good actor, ive seen a couple of movies he starred in and i think he did a good job, Dbanj and dede on the other hand are musicians and performers, it'll take more than singing, sounding or even looking a bit like like fela to carry off the role.

I dont really like dbanj or dede anyway,

True talk! Dede would have done beautifully. But chiwetel is one hell of an actor and i'm sure he will nail it. Funny enuf i heard months ago that it was djimon honsou that the studios picked to play fela

I can wait to for this Film to be out, Fela

This oyibo them no get sense at all . Why choose their own puppet trained in their way of doing things to depict Fela in a movie . I may not know this Ejiofor guy but D'banj has the Fela kind of Energy and would have done better playing the role .

Because its a movie of Fela, it doesnt mean it would be a re-run of "sounds of music", why didnt they ask a singer to act the Role of Ray Charles, or why didnt they ask a boxer to play the role of Muhammed Ali or Ruben "Hurricane" Carter, alot of people here tend to show there ignorance,

Can D'banj play the role of Fela, fighting the industry, the government, going to jail, studied in England? NO NO NO,



Am sorry the producer of the movie wants a blockbuster not a Nollywood home movie!!!

warripekin:

This oyibo them no get sense at all . Why choose their own puppet trained in their way of doing things to depict Fela in a movie . I may not know this Ejiofor guy but D'banj has the Fela kind of Energy and would have done better playing the role .  

Cause Fela is a musician dosent mean a musician must play the role

Its so obvious that the foreign producers do not have an idea of who is needed to take up such enigmatic role.Consequently they have chosen the wrong interpreter of Fela's life and times.I am so sure there is someone out there who can take up this.Focus should not be on internationally acceptable individual but on originality.The have missed it.

beeman80:

Its so obvious that the foreign producers do not have an idea of who is needed to take up such[b] enigmatic [/b]role.Consequently they have chosen the wrong interpreter of Fela's life and times.I am so sure there is someone out there who can take up this.Focus should not be on internationally acceptable individual but on originality.The have missed it.

Do you know the meaning of enigmatic? Pray tell how are you so sure chiwetal wont be able to interprete the role? and who do you think would be best? Remember Danny Glover in Mandela, he played the role perfectly despite the fact he wasn't remotely related to anything South African.

beeman80:

Its so obvious that the foreign producers do not have an idea of who is needed to take up such enigmatic role.Consequently they have chosen the wrong interpreter of Fela's life and times.I am so sure there is someone out there who can take up this.Focus should not be on internationally acceptable individual but on originality.The have missed it.

I actually think Ejiofor is perfect for the role, he's good looking in a way that's not so obvious, and im pretty sure he can carry off the whole enigmatic and larger than life image of the great 'BABA 70". I dont in anyway think he's wrong and im looking forward to when the movie comes out.

Personally i'll be looking out for who'll be playing the "kalakuta girls"

Ejiofor


Is the best Nigeria has to offer

D'banj may have some attributes of Fela, for instance his energy on stage, but he definitely does not have the acting skills. This fact is so obvious in his videos- Fall in love and Suddenly.

Sentiments apart, although I have not seen Ejiofor in action, from his list of awards and what people have said about him, I feel he is better for the role. At least the role was not given to a complete foreigner.

eros:

D'banj would have being best suited for the role. As a true naija boy listening to Fela's songs. He has the energy, know-how and ability to perform and deliver and if the producers want a thorough breed actor, D'banj can be trained to be one.

true

Did Chinwetel even know about Fela before the auditioning?

dayokanu:

Did Chinwetel even know about Fela before the auditioning?

The question is not who knew more about Fela or who can gyrate better to afro beat music, its about who is a better actor. If you've seen the videos of suddenly and fall in love, you'll know dbanj cant act squat.

If they were looking for a performer to fit the role, i would have gone with dbanj all the way, but the role demands a good and talented actor, and Ejiofor fits the role.

dayokanu:

Did Chinwetel even know about Fela before the auditioning?

Fela is an international icon, i would doubt that someone of Nigerian descent like that has not heard about him.