THE AFROBEAT MASTER "FELA ANIKULAPO-KUTI"

The Enigma. The Phenomenon. The Master Composer. The Band Leader. Baba 70. The Inspiration of a Generation. The Revolutionary. The Renegade. The Husband. The Father. The Son. The Nigerian.
Take your pick and you will find it difficult to ignore Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the annals of Nigerian Music and Political History.
A whole generation was exposed to the possibilities in self-belief and the determination to make a difference and many times against the odds.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti epitomized the Nigerian Spirit. In life Fela set a standard in Afrobeat Music that is yet and almost certainly will not be attained by anyone else.
Fela did not only impact Nigeria and a generation of Nigerians but his music and performances influenced a great many around the world, including some unexpected places for Afrobeat, like Scandinavia. Like every icon, Fela had his excesses in the battle to ensure the development of the Nigerian against the numerous establishments he went up against.
The Shrine. The Music. Those Dancers. Those wives. The lazing around for international interviews in underpants and painted faces. And….yes.
Could you help but not like Fela even from behind your curtains? You certainly could not ignore him whoever you were.
Many would say Fela was a Prophet way ahead of the times when they look back at the progress or lack thereof that Nigeria has made.
For a man who had ‘death in the pocket’ (Anikulapo) when the grim reaper came, Nigeria, the music world and an entire generation lost a lovable leader.