Sahr Ngaujah as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
Theatre includes: FELA! (Broadway and West End). Nominated for Best Actor in a Musical, both at the Tony Awards® in New York and the Olivier Awards in London. Television and film includes: Passing Glory, A Lesson Before Dying, The Signal, Stomp the Yard, Blood Done Sign My Name. For 15+ years he has worked as an actor and director between the US and Europe. A graduate of Dasarts Amsterdam. Other artists and directors Sahr has worked with include Freddie Hendricks, Gerrit Timmers, Del Hamilton (7Stages), Faulk Richter, Tim Habeger (Push Push) and Sierra Leone hip hop act, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew.

Rasaan-Elijah “Talu” Green as Djembe
Training: Long Island University. Theatre includes: FELA! (off-Broadway, Broadway and Lagos, Nigeria); Afropop Worldwide Gala, Russell Simmons’ Diamond Empowerment Fund Benefit, Dance Africa, National Black Arts Festival, Bambara Drum & Dance Ensemble, Indoda Entsha Percussion Ensemble, Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn. Talu exhibited his passion for West African percussion music after visiting several African countries where he gained first-hand experience with traditional percussionists.

Paulette Ivory (official website) as Sandra Isadore
LA-based British-born Paulette Ivory is one of London’s acclaimed singer/actresses. She created the role of Nala in London’s The Lion King. She went on to play Aida in Elton John/Disney’s AIDA on the National US tour to critical acclaim, securing a Helen Hayes Award nom for Best Lead Actress. Paulette enjoyed a number one single in Japan with the band THINK TWICE on EMI. Theatre: Purlie (NAACP nomination for Lead Actress), Blues in the Night, Baby It’s You, Smokey Joe’s Caf&ecute;, The Hot Mikado, A Woman of No Importance. TV/film credits include: The Young and the Restless, NUMB3RS, Girlfriends, Strong Medicine, Doctors, Eastenders, Lords of Dogtown. Paulette wrote, co-produced and starred in her first short film called In Destiny’s Hands. She appeared most recently in FELA! at The National in London playing Sandra Izsadore. http://www.pauletteivory.com

Ismael Kouyaté (official website) as Ismael
Ismael hails from a family of renowned artists and praise singers in Guinea, West Africa. He performed with Guinea’s national companies, Les Percussions de Guinea and Les Ballets Africains. Currently residing in New York City, he teaches dance and sings with his band, Ismael Kouyaté: Waraba Band.

Gelan Lambert as J.K. Tap Dance, Egungun
Originally from Miami, FL, of Haitian descent. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School with a B.F.A. in dance. Began his formative training at Dancexchange Inc. and New World School of the Arts. He also trained at The Ailey School, Broadway Theater Project, The Joffrey Ballet School and School of American Ballet. His professional credits include The Martha Graham Dance Company, Sean Curran Company, Fosse (1st National Tour), A Christmas Carol (Madison Square Garden Theater), Encores! Golden Boy, NYC Opera’s Alcina/Turandot, and a featured performer for Jacob’s Pillow Katherine Dunham Tribute, conceived and directed by Reginald Yates. He has presented solo concerts at Jacob’s Pillow, Stella Adler Studio (Resident Artist), Florida International Univ. and George Faison Firehouse Theater. His awards and honors are: Martha Hill Prize from The Juilliard School, National Foundation for Advancement of Arts-1st Place, Presidential Scholar for the Arts, National Society of Arts and Letters–1st Place and Jerome Foundation Fellow. A principal artist and assistant to Reginald Yates. He has danced the works of Alvin Ailey, Hinton Battle, Margie Gillis, Jiri Kylian, Jose Limon, Donald McKayle, Mia Michaels, Reginald Yates and others. Ayo!

Melanie Marshall as Funmilayo
Training: Royal College of Music (Foundation Scholarship for Singing and Piano). Theatre includes: FELA! (National Theatre); Hot Mikado (Watermill Theatre); Simply Heavenly (YoungVic and Trafalgar Studios); The Fat Lady Sings; Elsa Canasta and L’Eveil with the Rambert Dance Company; Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Fame, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Kiss Me Kate (all West End). Television and film includes: Alice in Wonderland, The Wide Sargasso Sea, Ray, Songs of Praise, The Walker and Casualty. Recordings include: Feel the Spirit, A Christmas Festival, Messiah, Distant Land (All Conducted by John Rutter) and Cocktail. BBC Radio includes: “Friday Night is Music Night,” “In Tune” and Stephen Sondheim’s 75th Birthday Concert. Melanie has also appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, Liverpool, the Halle and all the BBC Orchestras, and has performed in concert at Carnegie Hall and all major UK concert venues.

Sherinne Kayra Anderson as Ensemble
Training: Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Theatre: Sakoba Dance Theatre and BBC Philharmonic Africa. Television/Film: Kiss Ident, Top of the Pops, The X Factor, The Brit Awards, Singh is King, Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Music Videos: Boyfriend (Alphabeat), I’m Not Your Toy (La Roux). Events: Summertime Ball and choreographing for Glastonbury.

Jonathan Andre as Ensemble
Training: Bush Training: Kingston University (winner: AETC Creative Students competition). Theatre includes: FELA!, Sound Like Hackney. Radio includes: “From Silk Road to Carnival”. Jonathan plays djembe, dunduns, congas and other percussion instruments as part of a percussion ensemble playing traditional West African and Cuban music. He teaches West African djembe drumming, song and dance.

Cindy Belliot as Ensemble
Training: Dance Academy Lucia Marthas (Netherlands). Theatre includes: The Hurly Burly Show (Garrick Theatre London); FELA! (National Theatre London), Wicked (Apollo Victoria London), Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre London), Bubbling Brown Sugar (Dutch tour), Cats (Dutch tour), The Lion King (Netherlands). TV/Film: Feestje.

Nandi Bhebhe as Ensemble
Training: Liverpool Institute of performing Arts. Theatre includes: FELA! (National Theatre, Sadlers Wells Theatre), 5,6,7,8 (Royal Court Theatre, London), Episodes of Blackness (Vocal Dance Company), Frusted (The place, and Paris); Wayne Hemmingway’s Late at the Tate (Tate Liverpool), Points in Synthesis (Movema Dance company), Spice (Biennial Dance Festival, Bangalore), and The Wombats: Live on Tour (Echo Area, Liverpool). Music videos include: Gabrielle Cilmi’s “Hearts Don’t Lie.”

Catia Mota Da Cruz as Ensemble
CATIA MOTA DA CRUZ of Cape Verdian origin. Training: Academie Internationale de la Danse, Paris and Conservatoire de Montreuil (under star dancer Mr. Toma). Theatre includes: FELA! (National Theatre); Gone With the Wind (France) and The Ten Commandments (France and Far East Tour). She has also featured in fashion shows and numerous French TV commercials.

Nicole Chantal de Weever (official website) as Ensemble
St. Maarten N.A, graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Fairfax Ballet and Motiance. Performed at the Afro Pop Hall of Fame Awards, AUDELCO Awards, Black Film Festival, Dance Africa, West Side Story World Tour and FELA! Off-Broadway. Worked with such choreographers as Katherine Dunham, Bill T. Jones, Joey McKneely, George Faison, Rob Ashford, Maria Torres, Abdel Salaam and Jamel Gaines. Principal on commercials on the Oxygen channel, featured dancer on PBS special Dancing with Life: Katherine Dunham, American Library of Congress Documentary DVD on Katherine Dunham Technique and American Gangster. Performed with such companies as Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, Creative Outlet of Brooklyn, Prophecy Dance Works, Seventh Principles and Ballet Noir. Thanks to my family and friends. NMHRK Ashe. nicoledeweever.com

Jacqui Dubois as Ensemble (u/s Fumilayo)
Trained London Studio Centre. Credits inc: FELA!, The Harder They Come, Fame, The Lion King, Full Monty, RENT, Sophisticated Ladies, Children of Eden, Blues In The Night, All You Need Is Love amounts other roles. She has appeared in TV, Film, and Documentary as a session vocalist for various artists.

Poundo "Sweet" Gomis as Ensemble
French from Guinea Bissau and Senegal. Training: Conservatoire National de Region de Boulogne (Paris), worked with choreographers such as Bruce Taylor, Georges Momboye, Lionel Hoche, Ebale Zam, Opera de Paris star dancer Marie-Claude Petragalla, Raphaelle Delaunay, film director Anne Fontaine and stage director Jerome Savary. Choreographer with her company, Cie 12 02. Previous on FELA! Europe tour

Shakira Marshall as Ensemble
SHAKIRA MARSHALL, aka Kira, happily returns to the cast of Fela! Shakira received her BA in Media, Society and the Arts from SUNY Purchase College. Training: Edge School of the Arts, Yolette Rousseau, Kerri Edge, Roger Jeffrey,Obediah Wright, Stephanie Brown, Kevin “Iega” Jeff. Credits: MTV MADE, Questlove’s Afro-Picks (Paris), FELA! on Broadway, Scandalous People (MyChurch prod.), Sophisticated Ladies (Irving St. Rep), Apollo Circus of Soul. Choreographed Jill Scott/Maxwell tour, Alison Hinds’ world tour. Performed on stage and in music videos with artists Beyoncé, N*E*R*D* Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Tami Chynn, Eve, Remy Ma, Thunderkatz and the Editors.

Oneika Phillips as Ensemble (u/s Sandra)
From Grenada, West Indies, Oneika holds dual degrees in Dance Performance and Business Management from Shenandoah University, Virginia. Formerly a featured member of Abdel Salaama’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, Oneika’s theatre credits include the workshop, FELA! A New Musical, “Anita” in the 50th Anniversary International Tour of Jerome Robbins’s West Side Story, directed by Joey McKneely and nominated for The West End’s Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, winning the Theatergoer’s Choice Award in the same category. Oneika is thrilled to return home to the shrine with the FELA! family for her Broadway debut.

Thierry Picaut as Ensemble (u/s Ismael)
Training: Academie Internationale de la Danse, Paris. Musical Theater includes: HAIR (Principal role, Hud); The Lion King (Lead singer and principal cover roles, Simba and Banzai); Fame, Swingin Life, Angels in America. Dance Company: George Momboye Dance Company (France). TV: Chante (a French sitcom). Catwalk model.

Duain Richmond as Ensemble
DUAIN RICHMOND is a native of Sierra Leon, West Africa and is honored to be a part of the FELA! experience on Broadway. Duain got his start in theatre under the guidance of Freddie Hendricks performing in such shows as Times, B.L.A.C.K., and the internationally acclaimed Soweto! Other theatre credits include: DiggyDotCom (Made in da Shade, Amsterdam), Ruined and Superior Donuts (Geffen Playhouse, LA). FILM Credits: The Wool Cap, Stomp the Yard, Daddy’s Little Girls and Lifeless. Music is the weapon – Fela Kuti! POW!

Jermaine Rowe as Ensemble
Theatre credit: FELA! (National Theatre and European tour), Positive, Un Chant D’Amor and The Lion King. He has worked with Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Ailey School and National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. He is also a trained and seasoned television broadcaster and holds a BA in Journalism and Education from UWI, Mona.

Daniel Soto as Ensemble (Assistant Dance Captain)
Daniel Soto, born in Brooklyn NY and from a large family, has blossomed to become a respected artist and communal developer. At the age of sixteen, Soto was introduced to the professional world of dance, becoming a company member of Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn and later attending SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Soto toured internationally and nationally with various dance companies. He feels honored to share the language of art with others and feels blessed with the guidance of great artistic pioneers (Shirley Black Brown Coward, Jamel Gaines, Lakai Worreal, George Fasion) that have molded his career today. Mostly giving thanks to the creator, Soto feels extremely honored to be part of FELA!

Adé Chiké Torbert as Ensemble
Theatre credit: FELA! (National Theatre and European tour), Positive, Un Chant D’Amor and The Lion King. He has worked with Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Ailey School and National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. He is also a trained and seasoned television broadcaster and holds a BA in Journalism and Education from UWI, Mona.

Iris Wilson as Ensemble
Iris is a dance educator at P.S./I.S. 268Q, co-founder of It’s Dance dance school and author of the children’s book Boys Dance Too. (www.authorhouse.com). Iris performed nationally and internationally with various dance companies: Opus Dance Theater, Bosou African Dance Company, Dinizulu African Dancers and Drummers, Speak, Haiti Dansco and KaNu. Short Film Credits: Earl’s Post Prison Playdate (OGB Productions), Love Train and Coco’s Way (Oreh Productions). A part of the third FELA! workshop and the Off-Broadway run, Iris is happy to return to the cast as it makes its journey to Broadway. This is her Broadway debut. Iris thanks her family and friends for all their love and support. All praises to God. Ase.

Aimee Graham Wodobode (official website) as Ensemble
Enthusiastic Broadway debut! Aimee was part of the original cast of FELA! Off-Broadway. She received her dance training from choreographers Laura Scozzi, Stefanie Session and Christian Bourigault while attending University of Paris XII. When she moved to New York in 2001, Aimee started to study African dance with Abdel Salaam. She has been touring the country with Forces Of Nature Dance Theater for the last four years. In France Aimee has toured nationally with Steffie Session for Reebok and with Opinioni in Movimiento Dance Theater on such renowned stages as L’Opera de Paris Garnier, Le Ballet du Nord, the Theatre of Bakou, Le Theatre de Suresnes Jean Vilar and Le Theatre de Paris. Aimee thanks her Ancestors for guiding her way from Bangui to Broadway. www.aimeegrahamdance.com

Wanjiru Kamuyu as (Dance Captain, Swing)
Education: MFA, Temple University. Musical Theater: The Lion King, A la recherche de Josephine, St. Louis Woman. Companies/Choreographers: Urban Bush Women, Molissa Fenely, Nathan Trice, Tania Isaac, Dean Moss etc. TV and Film: Fais Danser la Poussiere (TV France 2) and Homeage a Grace Jones (Louvre Museum, Paris). Founder of the dance company, WKcollective.

Adesola Osakalumi (official website) as (Standby Fela)
Theatre includes: FELA!, Equus (Broadway), Ngwino Ubeho (Sundance Theater Lab), Eyewitness Blues (NYTW), Jam on the Groove (Drama Desk nominee). Films include: Sex and the City 2, Crazy Beats Strong Every Time, The Accidental Husband, Across the Universe, Enchanted, Idlewild. As choreographer: Broadway Bares, ESPN, Old Navy, PBS Kids, Halifax Bank, Advil, the films School of Rock and Marci X. NEA Grant and Bessie Award Recipient. Adesola would like to thank the Creator, the Ancestors, and the Divinities! Special thanks goes to My Family, The Africa I Dance Theatre under the direction of R. Francis, Egbe Omo Nago, The Rhythm Technicians/GhettOriginal Productions Dance Co, Tara Boragine, Lakey Wolff, Jen Krater, Universes, The Rhythmics, and Igi Circus. Thanks to the Producers, our incredible Cast and our Crew for making all of this happen.

Jill Vallery (official website) as (Swing, Dance Captain)
JILL VALLERY is exceedingly beholden to all those who have contributed to her journey. Trained at the Alvin Ailey School, she became a national teaching artist for Ailey Arts in Education & Community. Off-Broadway: FELA! Film: Lifted. Dance: Balance Dance Company, Opus Dance Theatre, Prophecy Dance, ADTC. She is grateful to Bill T. Jones, all artists and creators of FELA! and her family. jillmvallery.com

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