Nigeria’s Afrobeat King, Fela Anikulapo Kuti may have died 22 years ago, but the legend’s music still dominates the Nigerian entertainment industry like no other.
Aside from his series of albums, his three children are in the mantle doing what their father knew best.
His two sons, Femi and Seun, are great Afrobeat musicians, while Yeni, his daughter is a dancer and entertainer.
The controversial British trained musician, multi-talented instrumentalists and composer, Fela died on August 2, 1997 at the age of 59, while still in active titillation with musical lyrics laced with political, social and cultural ingredients.
Fela, who hailed from Abeokuta in Ogun State in South-western Nigeria used his music to foster his human rights activism. His social and political lifestyle were seen by many as extraordinary and out of the world.
He was a polygamist and on 18 February, 1978 he married 27 female members of his band in a ceremony conducted by a Yoruba priest. Fela established his “Shrine’’ in Yaba, in Lagos Mainland, which was later moved to Ikeja, the seat of Lagos State government.
Fela had a long standing disagreement with the military government at the time and the series of brushes with the army led to the destruction of home and recording studio he named the“Kalakuta Republic’’. The Kalakuta Republic also served as a commune for so many people connected to the band.
Until his death in 1997, Fela used his music to lampoon the military government in Nigeria and their leadership as well as some prominent millionaires in the country.
Fela’s two brothers – late Beko Ransome-Kuti and late Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, were both medical doctors and when he was sent to England in 1958 to study medicine, he switched over to study music at the Trinity College of Music.
He returned to Nigeria to form his first band, Koola Lobitos, playing jazz and highlife. He renamed the band Nigeria ’70.
The musician, also known as Abami Eda, had continuously had brushes with the military authorities. Confirming his travails with the law enforcement agencies, he said in one of his interviews with the media: “I care alone about the person that saved my life and career. During General Yakubu Gowon’s regime, Mr. Sunday Adewusi (Inspector General of Police), made life unbearable for me. He promised me that I will never rest and he made sure I never had a rest because I was always arrested, beaten up and charged to courts almost on weekly basis on the order of Adewusi.’’
He had hundreds of albums to his credit, including Zombie, Alagbon Close, Alu Jon Jonki Jon, Ariya, Army Arrangement, Authority Stealing, Beasts of No Nation, Egbe Mi O (Carry me), Confusion Break Bones, Chop & Quench (Jeun Ko Ku), Coffin for Head of State, Colonial Mentality and Confusion.
Others are Don’t Worry About Mu Mouth O (African Message), Everything Scatter, Excuse O, Expensive Shit, Fear Not for Man, Fight To Finish, Slap Me Make I Get Money, and ITT.
On July 4, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron, who was in Nigeria for official visit, paid a surprise visit to the New Afrika Shrine, which is the new Fela ‘hangout’ in Ikeja.
As Nigerians marked his death on August 2, 2019, radio and television stations
were agog with some of his popular tones.
Some Nigerians have called on the Federal Government to properly brand Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s story and legacy in order to boost the tourism sector. They believe that Fela’s music remains an international brand even after his death.
MM/GIK/APA