MUSIC-NIGERIA: Keeping Alive Memories of Sure Fela

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

IKEJA, Nigeria, Sep 16 1997 (IPS) - The family and associates of Nigerian super star, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, have begun bulding an imposing tomb in front of his former home in this Lagos suburb to immortalise the musician who died last month.

When completed, the tomb over Fela’s grave is expected to be a tourist attraction for musical aficiendos at home and abroad.

When IPS visited the house in mid-September, one of the numerous dancers still living there said many people had been visiting it to pay homage to Fela, who died of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) at the age of 59. This was confirmed by Yeni Fela, the musician’s eldest daughter:

“People are already visiting the house. I was told that one blind beggar who used to receive monetary donations frequently from Fela during his lifetime, came recently to pray at the tomb,” Yeni said. This attitude, and of others who visit the house regularly, show how close Fela was to the masses and how they hold him in high esteem,” she added.

More international tourists are expected to visit when the tomb is completed, just as the family has plans to turn the entire property into a museum to be named after the legend.

Designed by a Lagos-based architectural firm, the monument is in the shape of a pyramidal structure, on top of which sits a symbolic flame. It is to be flanked by four pillars made of wood, glass, stone and steel with a replica of Fela’s cherished saxophone, hanging at the top.

The consulting architect, Theo Lawson, explained that each part of the monument depicts an aspect of Fela’s life.

The pyramid shows Fela’s spiritual linkage with ancient Egypt– the late musician had changed the name of his band from Africa 70 to Egypt 80 in 1980. Each of the pillars is a mark of respect for the late musician and is also meant to illustrate his attributes.

The glass pillar reflects Fela’s transparency and honesty of purpose. The wood represents his down-to-earth nature and his strong belief in the African culture. The steel stands for his strength of character while the stone relates to his Abeokuta origin and African roots. Abeokuta (the name of a town in western Nigeria) means ‘at the foot of the stone’ in the Yoruba language.

The flame atop the pyramid depicts the immortality of Fela, whose music and message touched millions of Africans and non- Africans in many ways. “He was a hero to many and the legacies he has left behind are strong statements about his immortality,” said the architect.

During his lifetime, Fela said philosophically: “I no go die, I come to live an everlasting life,”

The architects and various artists working on the magnificient structure are doing so for free. “This is a mark of respect and identification with a fellow traveller in creativity,” Lawson explained.

Confirming this, Yeni told IPS: “The artists brought the proposal to us and since we had such a thing in mind before they even came, we accepted. Their doing it free shows the love and respect they have for our late father. It also shows the talents in Nigerians.”

Why build such a tomb? “Fela was a great man, he deserved a monument not an ordinary grave,” says Feni. “He was an international figure whose music spans the world so we expect tourists from all over the world to come here on yearly pilgrimage”

The entire property will be turned into a museum, Feni says.

“The museum will contain Fela’s records, photographs and musical instruments. Tourists will be taken on guided tours of the tomb and every part of the house,” she explains. “It will be an opportunity for people who were not at his burial to see everything about Fela, his room where he slept, his records and instruments”.

Feni adds that it is “not going to be a money making venture for the family,” although she admits that hoteliers, food vendors and the state are expected to make money through the tourism to be generated through the project.

“Fela was close to the masses and he would be happy if the people gain from him through sales of souvenirs, food or hotels as a result of influx of tourists,” says Feni. “Nigerians are free to make money from the tourists expected to visit the museum. That is what the Nigerian president that never was would have wished for his people.”

The late musician’s family have other plans to keep Fela’s flame aglow, but Yeni would not disclose them just yet. However, the celebration of his birthday and of the anniversary of his death are expected to form part of the activities.

Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Fela’s eldest son, says no stone will be left unturned to ensure that Fela’s many legacies live on.”Fela is a people’s hero and we must do all we can to ensure that all he lived for are sustained,” says Femi, himself a musician.

One of the immediate projects, he says, is to record some of his father’s unrecorded tunes jointly with Fela’s Egypt 80 band and his own “Positive Force” band.