The crowd may have been smaller than usual for a Meijer Gardens show, but the cultural experience was unparalleled as Nigerian ensembles led by Femi Kuti and Bombino dazzled fans in the heat.
Call it Afrobeat in the heat.
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It was another sweltering evening of cultural awareness, uplifting music, activism and positivity at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Wednesday.
The evening of Nigerian music began with Bombino and his dazzling ensemble of intricate electric guitars. Powered by international guitar virtuoso Omara “Bombino” Moctar, the band blended Nigerian music and lyrics about politics and suffering in Africa with rock and blues.
The group jammed for the audience during an impressive one-hour set, with a handful of songs lasting nearly 10 minutes each.
Bombino’s performance served as the perfect setup for the evening’s headliner, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force.
“It’s an honor for us to play with him here,” said Moctar about Femi Kuti, regarding Kuti’s extensive history with political activism in Africa.
The small audience — compared to the capacity crowds for most of this season’s Meijer Gardens concerts — was more than ready for Kuti & The Positive Force when the Afrobeat ensemble finally took the stage.
The music collective led by Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, whose father blazed the trail for Afrobeat music, immediately rejuvenated the audience after a scorching-hot intermission, promising to display “the beauty of Africa through music.”
Kuti roused on the keys and saxophone when he wasn’t captivating the audience with his poignant lyrics about politics, activism and Africa.
The group’s horn section danced onto the stage, followed by a trio of dancers and backup singers that kept the energy on high for the entire performance and summoned dozens of concert-goers to dance together in front of the amphitheater.
Tonight, Kuti and his troupe aim to bring that same positive musical force to Cleveland, where incidentally the Republic National Convention is wrapping up a boisterous week.
Next Up at Meijer Gardens: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band play a sold-out concert at 7 p.m. Sunday.