Tuesday 28 April 2015

THE RISE AND FALL OF A SHINING STAR ( FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI)

 Make I yab dem? Fela would tease; fela yab demmmmmm….the anticipating audience would roar back, eager for a laugh at someone else’s expense. Contempt for the affectations and pretentiousness of the ruling elite was dished-out in equal measure with thorough verbal roasting of the masses that condoned these rulers in the first place.
In those days, a visit to Lagos without a pit stop at fela’s club at jibowu fly-over was a less than fulfilling experience for savvy visitors here in Nigeria and foreigners, especially Europeans, who paid good money to endure humorous but stinging jibes from a social critic conscious always, about the legacy of colonialism and oppression.
Fela, for all of his brilliance as a composer, arranger, keyboardist and saxophonist, it was his prowess as a multi-talented instrumentalist that held the entire nation of Nigeria together. As a band-leader, he was supported by a (COTERIE OF BRILLIANT INDIVIDUALISTS) like { IGO CHICO on tenor saxophone, PEERLESS TONY ALLEN..on drums} fela’s songs was catchy and easily understood lyrics largely in pidgin English flavored by syncopated rhythms and an awe inspiring horn section, were echoed and chorused by the female singer-dancers whose shrill voices struck many as a throwback to the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Intense, raw and uncut.
Nor matter where fela was playing live, he was value-for-money. Whether performing with his entire ensemble at the shrine or at the ( TBS…TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE) in Lagos or just gigging impromptu with Tunde & the late kuboye at the museum kitchen and later at jazz 38 on Awolowo road ikoyi, he effortlessly delivered a satisfying performance which  friends of  fela and visitors would talk about till the next show.
Even his habitual lateness in arriving at his live performances did nothing to dampen the anticipation of the crowd and the joyful roar that always greeted his double fisted black power salute as he strode onto the stage, sometimes 6 hours late.
THE BLACK-PRESIDENT, as many use to call him, rehearsed everyday to prepare for his next show. I didn’t know fela personally but started hearing his jazz music in my village in ( UMUIKPO OKAFIA IGBERE) through my uncle’s turn-table. Till when I came to Lagos and attended his show at lekki beach on 25th of December, 1990. Every time I watched him and his dancers live, I saw the visceral impact his music had on his audience, me included. Great fela had the ability to talk directly to each person in the audience. Do you know that I still have an extensive collection of his music as one of my most prized possessions. Even to this moment, continue to discover new things about fela through his music.
My question has been, where did he get the opening stanza of (WATER NO GET ENEMY?) what was he thinking?, why is this assembly of notes still one of the most recognizable musical phrases in Nigeria, across gender and tribe?, why would a light skinned woman be described as ( YELLOW FEVER?) I get the yellow fever, but the FEVER beats me. Was she hot to the touch or just hot to look at? There are many more such questions waiting when I head into blissful retirement of this write-up with fela’s music, and it will be a joy to ponder on them as I compare perhaps this new generation music of these days. The
Empty, meaningless music and lyrics of our time that has a lot of corrupt rhythms and sound.
I have heard other Afrobeat bands and artistes keeping the music alive, listened to sampled versions of his music by young international artistes, and even seen the Broadway show tagged FELA. That is now making waves on the global entertainment circuit and introducing the fela phenomenon to new audiences worldwide. This is AWESOME for this great legend who ever live, and is still living in our hearts.
The Emperor of Afrobeat music sleeps and the people ponder and talk amongst themselves!!
More respect, ABAMI EDA (THE STRANGE BEING), more respect to you as you rest. I am still getting those goose bumps of jazz/ Afrobeat tunes.
FELA’S BEGINNING: fela was born to middle-class parents in Abeokuta, Nigeria-on 15th of October, 1938. He was the 3rd of 4 children: by all accounts his upbringing was strict, thanks to his Anglican Gentleman father (Rev, Israel o. Ransome Kuti…..and his political and women’s rights activist mother-Mrs, olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti.
Fela was a student of conventional music at Trinity College of music, oxford, England and his early style reflected significant inflections of American jazz and Rhythm and Blues as well as African highlife. He was already a prolific recording artist during the 1960’s and I recall in 1990 stumbling upon a ( Fela Ransome Kuti and his koola lobitos..LP, when listening to his songs, I was desperately searching in vain for all his songs for a modicum of association between that and the later Afrobeat music by the same artist.
Anikulpo kuti was at his most prolific during the 70s and 80s and most of his more than 50 world class albums were produced at this time. His style had now become distinct and unique and this was also when he was his most controversial and confrontational. Commentators ascribe the metamorphosis to a tour of the USA in 1969. The introduction to black activism and the black consciousness movement and consequently strong identification with Pan Africanism led to jettisoning of his (SLAVE NAME….RANSOME)-and its replacement with the enigmatic-( ANIKULAPO…meaning…HE THAT HAS DEATH IN HIS POUCH).
Pan Africanaism also caused a change of name for his band to ( Nigeria70, Later the Africa 70 and much later the Egypt 80) and also the names of his performing clubs to the Afro Spot and later the present name …AFRIKA-SHRINE, located at alawusa-ikeja….lagos state…the most powerful night club in africa.
THE MAKING OF A STAR: At the height of his popularity, Fela was genuinely an international super-star. Playing Afrobeat to sell-out audiences in Africa, Europe and US, Fela remains by a long way the biggest musical phenomenon to have come from Nigeria. Fela’s commanding stage shows, complete with supple, sexy and dexterous dancing girls captivated audiences wherever he played and he gigged with internationally acclaimed  musicians, most famously Ginger Baker of cream fame.
FELA VS MILITARY RULE: Denounced as a misogynist, a promiscuous corrupting influence, drug taker and attractor of miscreants; Fela’s own natural constituency which should have been the Nigerian middle-class was his most hostile and vociferous critic. Together as allies, it might have been more difficult for the military rulers to isolate and deal with fela, even as they simultaneously presided over near-annihilation of the middle-class in Nigeria. Mutual hostility was injurious to both sides, nevertheless that didn’t stop Fela from forming his own political movement called (MOVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE…MOP). By now in full voice as a social critic and very much at the receiving end of official intimidation and persecution; the music was the medium for the message that continued to resonate with newer and younger generations of Nigerians.
In those days, Nigerian musicians helped the masses to communicate messages to the government, expressing the mind of the people.
Where are the ( MANDETORS, RASKIMONO, MAJEK-FASHEK, ORIS-WILIKE, OLIVER DE QUOKE, OSADEBE, ORIENTAL BROTHERS, OBI-IGWE, CHIKA OKPARA, ONYEKA OWENU, KING SUNNY ADE, SIR SHINA PETERS, AFRICAN CHINA, IDRIS---OF NIGERIA JAGA-JAGA, OKWESCO OF ..IHE EMEBIWO, PAULSON KALU, NELLY UCHENDU, SIR WORRIOR , CHRISTY ESSIEN IGBOKWE, SUNNY OKOSON, DANIEL WILSON, MIKE OKRIGH, HELLEN NKUME, SIR VICTOR WAIFOR) and so many Nigerian old  musicians who were voices for the poor masses.
Today, the taste of songs/ lyrics of Nigerian musicians have gone from bad to worse. Their songs have no meaning. They can’t talk to government through songs again, instead, they joined them in singing ( skelewu, dorobucci, sekem, kukere, chop my money, ada oweri, shake your bumbum, bottom belle, ihe din a ukwu, I ga ebunwukwe, etc.
THE SAD END OF FELA: Very early in the morning of 2nd of August, 1997 at the age of 58 years..18 years ago, the news of Fela’s death hit the entire world, and the report coming from the family was an ugly and shameful one, how can fela of all people died of ( HIV& AIDS ?), many were not surprised because of his promiscuous life with women, some were expecting him to die of smoking igbo…marijuana and cocaine.
By testimony, some say that licentiousness always exacts a heavy price. However as it was with Bob Marley and Reggae; by the time he exited, the same thing happened to fela, he had elevated Afrobeat, a local music genre, unto the world stage and international reckoning.
Gratitude to the Kuti’s family for the courage to publicly tell the whole world the truth that their brother ( FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI) died of HIV/AIDS. It was a great challenge for fela’s brother ( OLUKOYE RANSOME KUTI) who was the minister of health during  ABACHA’S ADMINSTRATION.
SAY NO TO HAD DRUGS AND CHAINS OF WOMEN TO AVIOD DYING YOUNG!!!.
THIS DOCUMENTARY IS WRITTEN BY ( ENGR, PRINCE KUNTA-KINTE )
PRESIDENT, OLIVE FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL (OFI)











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