Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday eulogized the virtues of late Afrobeat legend and freedom fighter, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti describing him as an enigmatic artiste who used the platform of his art to agitate for social and human rights by challenging government and people to explore development through social and economic activities that are rooted in African values.

Speaking while unveiling the Liberation Statue in honour of Fela erected at Allen Roundabout in Ikeja as part of activities marking his 79th posthumous birthday and the 20th anniversary of his demise, Governor Ambode said aside from challenging people to free their minds of all inhibitions and actualise their true potentials, the late music icon also voluntarily turned his back on a life of comfort and privilege, and took up his saxophone as a weapon to fight for the liberation of the people from neo-colonialism and bad governance.

While insisting that the spirit of Fela was still alive as a movement of social consciousness and justice against oppression, the Governor said the late legend made the world sit up and take notice of the energy of African art and music, adding that he will forever be accorded his position in the global hall of fame of artistes.

He said: “The phenomenon that the world knows as “Fela” was deeply rooted in the evolution of Lagos State. The story of music, art, entertainment and tourism in Lagos and Nigeria cannot be told without an eloquent mention of the “Abami eda”.

“On this day, October 15th, which would have been Fela’s 79th birthday, the government and people of Lagos State celebrate ‘’Fela’’ with the unveiling of this Liberation Statue. It has been 20 years since he passed on but the memories he left us with remain evergreen. Today we celebrate a man who voluntarily turned his back on a life of comfort and privilege, and took up his saxophone as a weapon to fight for the liberation of our people from neo-colonialism and bad governance.

“This “Liberation” statue is not an image of Fela but a symbol of Fela’s philosophy. This artwork was created as a form of respect and remembrance to this legend; what he stood for and fought for with his music; his mythology; struggle for freedom; fight for human dignity; social consciousness; courage and Pan-Africanism,” the Governor said.

While reiterating the continued commitment of the State Government to fully harness the potentials of entertainment, creative arts and tourism to transform the economy of the State and generate wealth and job opportunities for the people, Governor Ambode said his vision is to create a vibrant arts and culture sector that would empower young and talented population to find their own voices and impact society positively.

He said though Fela was no more, but it was gratifying that he is still alive in his music and in the music of Femi, Seun and other artistes who have followed his style of music, assuring that the unveiled statue would be the first of many to celebrate the Afrobeat icon.

Responding on behalf of the family, Fela’s daughter and social commentator, Yeni Kuti commended Governor Ambode and the artist for coming up with such a monument to recognize and honour their father in a big way, saying that it was a good representation of their late patriarch.

She specifically justified the design of the monument, saying it was the expression of how the artist felt about the late legend.

She said: “Before people on social media will start to say the Fela has no head or it has no hand and so on, it is art and before you abuse us, let me answer quickly. It is art. How an artist feels is how he feels because if he had put a head and the head did not look like Fela, everybody will say the head did not look like Fela so now you cannot abuse the head because it is not even there.

“The artist has said it is a spirit and when Fela was alive, he hated statues and so I think this effigy is a good representation of what Fela would have wanted because he did not like statues and that is why at the Museum you will notice that there is no statue of Fela. Everybody wants to do his statue and I have fought against it. So, this one I can accept it and so I want to thank the artist who designed it and also thank Governor Ambode for recognizing Fela in a big way.”

The visual artist who designed the effigy, Abolore Sobayo said the work was an expression of how he feels about the late Afrobeat legend, saying that it was designed to generate discussion about the emancipation of the people.

While justifying the fact that the art work had no head, Sobayo said the design came out of extensive research on what Fela represented through his music, and how to use same to correct some of the things he complained about years ago that are still happening.

“For me as an artist, art transcends beyond beauty or aesthetics. For me, art should generate discuss; art should ask question and art should provoke our thoughts. For me, the creation of the Liberation Statue is to represent the essence of Fela by using his costume.

“For me, I believe that this should serve as a conscious to our subconscious that twenty years after Fela’s demise, most of the things he talked about are still happening. For me, this work should come to us not just as a beautiful work, but it should come to us as something that will ginger us to look at the positivity in our lives; positivity in the values of his music; for us to start to emancipate our people positively. Going forward, I have been able to use symbolism as a medium to represent Fela through his costume and to represent his essence,” Sobayo said.

The event was attended by notable members of late Fela’s family including Yemi Ransome-Kuti (Head of family), Seun Kuti, Kunle Kuti, Yeni Kuti, Motunrayo Kuti, Dotun Olukoye Ransome-Kuti, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana; veteran Nollywood actor, Pa Olu Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silva; Fela’s first manager, Chief Benson Idonije, among others.

Governor Ambode was also at the Kalakuta Museum on Gbemisola Street, Ikeja where he was received by Afrobeat star and Fela’s son, Femi Kuti, among other family and devotees of the late music icon.

He later hosted a Special Lagos Jump to formally round off Felabration 2017 at the New Afrika Shrine, thereby becoming the first Governor in his official capacity to visit the shrine to end the show.



SIGNED

HABIB ARUNA

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

OCTOBER 15, 2017

http://www.metronaija.com/2017/10/fela-used-music-to-fight-for-liberation.html\


cc: lalasticlala mynd44

We know Fela did a good job in fighting for liberation...
He also did a good job in smoking and polygamy...

The same buhari fela warned us about is the same person yorubas are masturbating over. Same buhari fela called animal in human skin. Fela please continue resting in peace. Recent happenings in nigeria just confirmed you were a prophet.

Fela as a musician had one of the worst voice I know of any musician

As an activist I can't point to anything that changed that he influenced

Lived and immoral live style and still sold his music and charged money for shows ( to preach his massage)

So for me based on fact I don't see any reason to celebrate fela

He is just one of the many over hyper propagandas the south west media try to force us to believe

Before you quote me n say rub**sh ask your self what fela achieved if not making personal money

mrvitalis:
Fela as a musician had one of the worst voice I know of any musician

As an activist I can't point to anything that changed that he influenced

Lived and immoral live style and still sold his music and charged money for shows ( to preach his massage)

So for me based on fact I don't see any reason to celebrate fela

He is just one of the many over hyper propagandas the south west media try to force us to believe

Before you quote me n say rub**sh ask your self what fela achieved if not making personal money

Shut up

SweetJoystick:

Shut up

What can you do if I refuse to

Happy Birthday to Fela..


A Prophet of a kind.. .
A legend in the mind.. .
A man heart of pain...
For a masses to gain....
A man of love..Yet hate by all,

What a Prophet?
He never have a religion,
His words are more of prophecy,
His lyrics are not just words,
His rhythm are not just drums,
His music are not just noise, but are
Voice for the voiceless and Hope for the hopelses.

His home he open for all,
Whether black or white,
Small or great, rich or poor,
His love for the down trodden is unfathomable,
His passion for justice is unequivocally,
His desire for equality is beyond this page,
His hatred for injustice is so emphatically,
His message for the religious slavery is undisputed,

His enemity with corrupt government is overwhelming,
His view on the looters call leaders is not bias,
How we wish he lives on, but he is a mortal
And all mortal must died, 20 years after is death,
More than 40years after his major song were released,
The songs are ever fresh every day,
Because he is a prophet...

Should we call him a Prophet?
Nope let call him a man who sees tomorrow..
He sees the fear in the masses faces to fight for freedom little wonder he sing "my people sef , dey fear too much"
He sings about "suffering and smilling" Imagine a graduate without work, imagine a worker without Salary after six months "suffering and Smiling.
Oh He sing about our present leader
He sings about $2.6billion missing today $26billion missing. What a Prophecy?

A medical student to be..
No he follow his calling the Underground Spiritually Game,
He taught it was just a music but he never knew,
His rhythm and rhymes will change the music world forever,
He never knew his music will be more deadly than pen, gun, bow and arrow,
He never knew through this music calling he will be famous than his Father,
For him it's just to sing, only did he know it's a Calling..
When He yield to his Calling a Prophet was born that beget a Prophecy...

Like the Prophet of old
His music turned him to Matyrs..
He was subjected to all form of inhumane,
He was beaten, he was batterd yet he never deter,
He called the enemy yet the people loves him the more
The more he was called the criminal, the more his Prophecy becoming so so Real....

How can I write about a man whose Prophecy outlive his reign..
How can I pen down the attributes of a Prophet whose Prophecy has been there before I was born,
Tell me how will I described a Prophet whose Prophecy is a thorn in the Flesh of our looters,
Tell me how will I script a Prophet who have no ministry but his message prick men's heart,
How I mean how a Prophet without religion but has so many disciples..

Little wonder
To many musicians he becomes their Legend,
To many learner he become their Mentor,
To many Looters he become a Thorn,
To many Afro he become their Beats,
To the truth Lovers the stage his not complete without His Rhythm..

His Prophecy like a still voice in the wind...
Was not bound by boundaries,
Was not cut by Culture,
Nor tame by Time,
Nor buried by Power,
Not even Fracture by Force,
The Content was not contain by Colour,
The lyrics hound by Race,
The message was not exterminate by Ethnicity.

No wonder his voice is heard from far and near echoing
Are ra ra Oro roo ro..
Welcome to the spiritual underground game.

@shopen