Remembering Fela Anikulapo-Kuti @ 70

Remembrance
By Hakeem Babalola

He was known as well for his yabis (lampoon) both in his songs and on stage. The acclaimed winner of a “free and fair” election on June 12, 1993, Late MKO Abiola, did not escape the lethal of Fela’s criticism. In fact, he called Abiola a “thief” while categorising the ITT for which Abiola served its interests in Nigeia as nothing more than “International Thief Thief”. That’s of course is simply a tip of Fela’s acerbic frankness read more

Remembering Fela Anikulapo Kuti (October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997)

By Hakeem Babalola
In the early 70’s or thereabouts, a young man knew something was amiss in the land where one person is allowed to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter. The man opened his “basket” mouth and “talk and talk”. He sang and sang about the pervasive diseases in the land of his birth. The obsessive theme of his struggle was for so long centred on government brutality and insensitivity, injustice, human suffering, corruption and embezzlement. He observed a touch of insanity in the system, a sense of lugubrious drollery everywhere that would not dissipate sooner. click and read more




First published by the Nigerian Tribune under the caption: If Fela had been