Felabration created in honour of Fela, says daughter

 

Felabration

Lagos, Oct. 16, 2013 The first daughter of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Yeni Kuti, on Wednesday said that Felabration was created to honour her late father.

Kuti said in Lagos that it is ``our annual musical arts festival to commemorate the life and times of the late Fela''.

According to her, this is because of his contributions to the music and arts industry in the country.

She said that the whole concept of Felabration originated from her in 1998, in order to keep the legacies of Fela alive.

 Felabration had been an annual week-long musical event since 1998, except in 1999, when it did not hold, due to logistics challenges.

Kuti said that the celebration had attracted thousands of visitors to the ``New Afrika Shrine’’, from all over the world.

``They just want to see what is happening in the shrine, the music and what Fela stands for.

``Felabration has also attracted many high class musicians from all parts of the world,” she said.

Kuti said that Fela’s post-humous birthday had also become part of the week-long music festival.

``The festival always included diverse activities; from schools’ debate for Lagos State schools, to photo exhibitions, street carnivals and dancing.

She, however, said that as a musical event, the festival was highly important to everyone that cared about Fela and afro-beat music.

``Although, afro-beat has its peculiar style, other genres of music have their own style too”.

She said that many musicians blended their music these days and made meanings out of the music.

``What matters is for a song to make meaning and for the people to also enjoy it,’’ Kuti said.

Fela was born in Abeokuta, Ogun, on Oct. 15, 1938.

He went to London in 1956 to study music at the Trinity College of Music.

In London, he formed a band known as Koola Lobitos, playing a fusion of Jazz with West African Highlife in 1963.

Back in Nigeria, he built his shrine called Kalakuta and and named his band, ``Africa 70”.

Felabration, which commenced on Monday, Oct. 14, will end on Sunday, Oct. 20.