Award-winning Nigerian Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has canceled his 13-date North American tour due to an undisclosed illness. Kuti and his band, The Positive Force, were scheduled to begin the tour on January 7 at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA, and continue through January 24 at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA.
Stops on the club and theater tour were set for New York, NY; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Montreal, QC; Toronto, ON; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Boulder, CO; San Francisco, CA; West Hollywood, CA.
As part of the tour, Kuti was to have participated at world music festival GlobalFEST on January 11 at New York’s Webster Hall. Refunds will be issued for all dates of the tour.
Published reports stated that Kuti had been suffering from a mild case of malaria prior to the January 7 start date, though that has not been confirmed as the reason for the cancellation. Two new dates — one in Wisconsin and one in Ontario — are listed on the artist’s early July itinerary.
Kuti is the oldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and is touring in support of his first album in seven years. “Day By Day” was released on November 18, 2008, and is a hybrid of Afro-pop, jazz and urban influences.
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