Opinion: Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Afro beat and the burden of a movement

Afro beat legend, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti no doubt gave Nigeria, Africa and the world a genre of music that has endured for decades and is set to endure forever.

I’m sure when he started back then little did he know that he would be setting an unreachable standard and also influencing successive generations of aspiring musicians.

Even before his demise on 2^nd of August, 1997, there were quite a handful of Afro beat music centric wannabes and widely acclaimed performing afro beat protégés and protégée too.

There were such marque names as irrepressible Dede Mabiaku, Kola Ogunkoya, and Lagbaja (the masked one) who to a large extent owed their style of music to the legendary musician.

Juju music maestro, Sir Shina Peter also revealed in a recent interview that Fela played an influential role in his resurgent career and was directly responsible for the Afro fusion in his music.

*Sir Shina Peter

Also not left out importantly are his children like the scion of Fela Anikulapo Kuti music dynasty, Femi Kuti who cuts his musical teeth under his father’s watch; and Seun Kuti whom many argue is the carbon copy of his father in terms of his uncanny ability to perfectly reproduce his father’s sound and mannerisms on stage. 

Today, Afro beat enthusiasts the world over called him a chip off the old block because he naturally evokes like I said earlier what is considered to be vintage Fela for solemnity unlike his elder brother, Femi whose style is characteristically fast pace.

So far, they have been worthy torch bearers of afro beat music culture which their father invented.

More so, twenty or so years down the line after the demise of music enigma Fela, the afro beat music culture appears to be on increased fire.

The rank of artistes playing some form of afro beat centric music has swelled indeed. Interestingly, almost every musician today in Nigeria especially in the hip hop circle alludes to the fact that he or she plays something called afro hip which is a brand of Hip hop with a fusion of afro beat and have paid tribute to Fela.

*Burna Boy

There are numerous afro centric musicians in Nigeria today. But permit me to name names like Asa, Star Boy and Burna Boy respectively. These are no doubt globally acclaimed and award winning musicians who proudly had their root in afro beat.

And if you check out their ages, they should all be in their diapers no disrespect except for someone like Asa who is older of the three when Fela joined his ancestors.

I mean they hardly know him musically. And yet his influence is boldly written all over their music and lifestyles.

It is more visible in Star Boy, and most especially in Burna Boy who never hid his love for the pot like Fela.

Take it or leave it, these three and other too many to mention are world renowned for what they have done at keeping alive the Afro beat legacy of Fela.

*Lagbaja

Recently too, Burna Boy took home sound city MVP ‘African Artiste of the year’ award and song of the year for his 2018 hit single, ‘Ye’, underlying the fact of the huge stature the genre has attained. In total, he carted away four coveted awards at the festival.

These are some of the several awards Star Boy and others who have links to Afro beat have all won in the past. And they will continue to win because they are representing something special.

It is safe, therefore, to conclude that Afro beat remains the most influential genre of music Nigeria ever produce and it’s down to one man, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Having said all these; there’s, however, an area many of them have falling short. And it’s the area of doing music that has more social conscious appeals.

Once again, I’ll exempt the like singer Asa, Dede Mabiaku, and Lagbaja for they have been noteworthy cultural ambassadors all through these years.

The scion of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's music dynasty, Femi.

If they cannot be as pointedly critical or confrontational like Fela which is not even advisable any ways, at least they should still in a way be able rouse more awareness about social injustice or miss-governance in the system just like Fela did all through his life because those are Nigeria’s greatest problems till date.

And Fela of all knew these and he was not only willing to give a fight for these great ideals but sacrificed commercial necessity which is the souls of every business endeavor for service to fatherland.

It is on record that he repeatedly turned down overtures to commercialize his music. Something the present generation will never do. Today, it’s all about the posh cars, the mansions and make-believe rich lifestyle of entertainment princes and princesses.

*Seun Kuti

Even if government or society at large currently skewed towards crass materialism and untrammelled individualism does not reckons with him as a true jewel of Nigeria’s march to true nationhood, posterity will forever judge him as a man of the people. 

And this came in the way of visit last year of French president Emmanuel Macron to the African shrine. The buzz I remembered was massive.

Trust me; no validation can get better than that. But how I wish it came from one of our own in a clear demonstration of appreciation for what he did when he was alive. The fact that it hasn’t come isn’t surprising because the bible has summed it all that ‘the prophet is without honor in his own country.’

*Star Boy

Above all, money isn’t everything; though it might be the answer to everything on earth. There’re worthier matters like integrity, love, faith loyalty, and trust to name a few.

Let me state finally that contrary to trending views among the millennial kids especially, music and musicians don’t just exist for entertainment alone.

They are communicators, cultural ambassadors at large and voices of the voiceless continually calling attention and actions to the numerous ills of the society and where necessary heaping eulogies on deserving members of the community for the virtues displayed.

And I sincerely hope one day the motion picture industry in Nigeria will one day rise to the occasion to produce a film that accurately depict the life and time of our greats like Fela; and not just continue to churn out contents that are grossly deficient in creative or artistic depth, production and cultural values. 

But for the few exceptional ones, what we’ve today could at best be described as a deliberate promotion of mediocrity where dialogues are messed up with artless expressions and transitions poorly coordinated. 

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Opinion: Is Mikel Obi a legend of Nigerian football, and in the category of Okocha and Kanu?

Mikel Obi courtesy Getty Images

While his career is far from over, talks in football circles especially in Nigeria have already commenced on the possibility of  Mikel Obi laying claims to legendary status as a Nigerian international.

More so, people are arguing whether or not he belongs in the class of ex-internationals Okocha and Kanu respectively.

People of course have different perspective on the issue. And that’s expected.

Like the headline indicated, the issue comes in two parts. The first is that, is the former Chelsea defensive midfielder a Nigerian football legend?

Second, is he in the class of Okocha and Kanu?

To do justice to this discus, there’s need to first of all set measuring parameters for without such it becomes almost difficult if not impossible to dependably arrive at indisputable conclusions.

And Legend or legendary according to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English could be (1) a traditional story from the past that may or may not be true, (2) a very famous person and (3) remarkable enough to be famous. 

Okocha: courtesy Getty Images

Based on the second framework or criterion above, Mikel Obi can definitely be called a legend of Nigerian football. Yes, he’s a brand in his own right. He’s highly marketable because he remains a famous personality in Nigeria and the world at large for what he has been able to accomplished playing for Nigerian national team.

For the records, he has won the African cup of nations in 2013 under late coach Stephen Keshi. He has also played in two world cups, 2014 and 2018 respectively where he could be adjudged to have had modest outings. And that should be sufficient to secure his place as a Nigerian legend. 

Though he did nothing that ticks one’s brain to stands him out of the lot all this while, but if his efforts are combined with his achievements at lower grades and club sides then his stature as a legend of Nigerian football is fully secured. But the topic is centered on Nigeria national team. He equally inspires. This can be seen from his days in age grades competitions and while he holds forth as the captain of super eagles.  

Kanu Nwankwo: courtesy Getty Images

In fact, I could give a few names that towers above him in that respect. Name like Ahmed Musa rings a bell. He was a member of the 2013 Afcons winning squad like Mikel. And more so, he’d memorable times at both world cups of 2014 and 2018 respectively. Today, he’s Nigeria’s highest goal scorer of all time in the world cup with four goals.

Another player is goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. Well, we could say he belonged relatively to the older generation. Nevertheless, he's a legend of Nigeria football. Of course, not forgetting defender Joseph Yobo.  

If you, however, like I mentioned earlier combine Mikel’s club achievements and contributions to all the national teams, then he would be head and shoulder above many of his compatriots.

Now to the issue of comparing Mikel with either Okocha or Kanu. To start with, Okocha and Kanu have larger than life statuses in the memory of average Nigerians football followers. It would therefore be difficult for them to place him in their bracket.  And this is not necessarily because they won more laurels than him at club or country levels. 

Also on the world stage, they will get more legendary votes than him most probably because they were attacking players revered for their ability to create split second magic moments. We all know how customary it has become over the century to rate forward players above others who play in other departments.

Finally, because the duo has a lot of remarkable moments to reference during their playing days, they will continue to garner more legendary ratings than Mikel in the perception of the Nigerians and world football fans any day.

Over all, I don’t think so far Mikel has had remarkable enough a career with the super eagles of Nigeria to overshadow or rival either Okocha or Kanu of this world as true legends of Nigeria football. And it’s left to be seen if he would ever be able to close the gap. Ever! But he lays somewhere in the midst. And he definitely deserves a mention; an accolade. But as a legend in their class, he’s far from it.

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