Fela Lives On

Today, August 2nd, makes it 18 years since Fela drew his last breath for the great beyond following a HIV/Aids related illness. Fela, the hero of the Nigerian masses, died a broken man having used his body to protest every element of colonialism and oppression. He was jailed many times unjustly for speaking against the government of the time.

And as if by prophetic genius, everything he sang about is still relevant today. Buhari is back in agbada. People still suffer and smile, look and laugh, live through traffic onslaught, brace themselves for life adversities, etc.

So I have decided to curate a small body of work to remember Fela by. A poem called Kalakuta by ‘Niran Okewole summarises Fela’s life. An essay, Chewing Fela by Tunji Olalere, contextualises his favourite Fela song. A short memoir by yours truly remembers an incident from five years ago.

Enjoy. Share. Comment.