Fela Lives on: 21 years After

On this day 21 years ago, 15th October 1938 – 2 August 1997  Fela Anikulapo Kuti professionally known as Fela Kuti is a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the Afro-beat music genre, human rights activist, and political maverick died at the age of 58 from complications related to AIDS.

If the Nigerian legend were still alive, he would have clocked 80 on October 15, 2018 unfortunately that day will be the climax of the annual celebration of Music Festival held in his honour.

In his lifetime, Fela was known worldwide as a great musician and activist and years after his death, his Afro-beat sound continues to dictate and dominate the sound of music all over the world leaving his indelible footprint in the sands of time.

His self pioneered Afro-beat sound has put Nigerian music, culture, arts and sound on a new pedestal in the world as much as lyrics of Fela’s songs continue to remain relevant in the current politicial and economic clime in Nigeria.

Late Fela Kuti let the world with a rich repartoire of music and albums including Why Black Man Dey Suffer (1971), Shakara (1972) etc.