In marking the period between Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s death
(August 2, 1997) and burial (August 11), we bring you
facts you thought you knew about the King of Afrobeat.
If you were asked which was the first album cover
Ghariokwu Lemi designed for Fela and you said
Unnecessary Begging, you are absolutely wrong.
Are you sure?
Of course we are. It was Alagbon Close. No need for the
unnecessary debate!
You must have heard of Kalakuta Records, right? But did
you know that Fela set it up after Decca recording
company refused to release Sorrow, Tears, and Blood?
The album became the label’s debut release.
This next one sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.
In March 1980, Fela accepted a police invitation to serve
as a member of the Police Public Relations Committee.
Really?
Yeah, yeah!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
This one is not as incredulous but did you know that in
June 1984, a documentary film entitled Teacher Don’t
Teach Me Nonsense based on Fela’s political life was
broadcast to a British audience by the BBC?
How good are you with languages? No, we are not
referring to the Hausa service of the BBC. We are not
talking about French or German language either but
Swahili!
Did you know that “Kalakuta” is a Swahili word that
means “rascal”?
Bet you never knew that. But it figures!
You probably knew that his first band was called Koola
Lobitos. However, have you ever asked yourself what
those words stood for?
Well, “Koola” has no apparent meaning but “Lobitos” is
Spanish for “little wolves”!
It figures, too!
Let’s talk about colour this time.
Did you know that orange was his favourite colour? This
one is a bit debatable because the colour red and black
have also been mentioned on one or two occasions.
Maybe Femi or Yeni Kuti can bail us out here!
Now to FESTAC.
It’s a common knowledge that Fela did not participate in
the second World Black and African Festival of Arts and
Culture – known as FESTAC – in 1977. But did you know
that he put forward a nine-point programme, which
outlined his conditions for participating at the event?
Let’s throw this easy one in the mix.
The “White Paper” report by the federal government on
February 18, 1977, invasion of Kalakuta Republic claimed
that the fire that engulfed Fela’s house started
accidentally by an “exasperated and … soldier”.
a) Unidentified
b) Unrecognised
c) Undistinguished
d) Unknown
e) All of the above
A piece of cake, right? If you call them Undistinguished,
though, you are on your own oooooooo!
Back to Decca recording company.
Did you know that the company signed a 12-album
contract with Fela but in an attempt to strangle him
financially, the Nigerian army persuaded Moshood Abiola,
the largest shareholder of the company, to fire the English
director, John Boot? His replacement, Mr. Orgus
unilaterally cancelled the company’s contract with Fela.
Still on Decca, are you aware that Fela and his entourage
took over and squatted for 78 days in the company’s
headquarters in Lagos? He was forced to leave the
premises as a result of his invitation to perform at the
Berlin Jazz Festival.
While in Germany, did you know that the Nigerian army
took the opportunity to destroy the ruins of his burnt
house, where he had placed a coffin on the balcony as a
sign of protest and a banner with the words boldly
written: “This is the spot where justice was murdered”?
Let’s make you work under examination tension and
condition. Another injustice?
Well, you must have come across the computer adaptive
test GRE while trying to get a job in the bank or hoping to
further your studies abroad.
Then you are no stranger to analogies which test your
ability to see the relationship between two words and to
recognise a similar relationship between two other words.
Now let’s try it out on Fela.
KALAKUTA: Republic, KALA-KUSA: …
a) Republic
b) Cell
c) Kitchen
d) Toilet
e) None of the above
To solve this GRE/Fela analogy, follow these five steps:
1) Figure out how the capitalised words are related.
2) Create a sentence that expresses that connection.
3) Test the choices with your sentence and eliminate the
ones that don’t work.
4) If you are left with more than one answer – or no
answer at all – go back and refine your sentence.
5) Choose the best answer. If none of the choices fits
exactly, choose the one that works best or settle for
option “E”.
So, have you been able to unravel the Kalakuta and Kala-
kusa relationship? Well, without further ado, Kala-Kusa
was Kalakuta’s little wooden cell in Fela’s republic.
It was a symbolic cell locked with string and if you don’t
do your penance in it, you have to quit the Kalakuta
altogether.
But don’t quit reading this just yet because we still have
more revelations on the Abami Eda!
So, did you know that as a band, the Koola Lobitos was
transformed during Fela’s harrowing tour of the United
States from June 1969 to March 1970?
Oh, you are aware of that but could you ever imagine that
Fela started with only one female dancer?
It’s hard to but Dele, Fela’s first dancer, danced solo for
the band for many years. But all that changed in 1978,
when the King of Afrobeat married 27 women in one
traditional ceremony.
Twenty-seven women all at once? Actually, the ceremony
began with 22 brides lining up in front of the oracle in
order of seniority. Five more joined the group before the
ceremony ended, suggesting either last minute jitters or
uncertainty! Or both.
But did you know that when no Ifa priest in Lagos agreed
to officiate at the February 20 mass wedding, Fela
imported Chief Yesufu Olaleye from Ekon, Ekiti division, in
Ondo state?
Sadly, though, the mass marriage lasted until 1984 when
Fela emerged from a jail stint on trumped-up currency
charges amid rumours that some of his wives had
adopted Fela’s inclusionary sexual ideas for themselves!
What a man can do a woman can…
And lastly, did you know that Fela “died” before his actual
death?
On July 14, 1987, Fela was rumoured dead arising from
an AIDS-related illness?
Ten years later, it was no longer a rumour!
Fela is gone forever, but his legacies lives on forever!
Alabatvnews.
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