For the last six years, I have been unable to see the Felabration Music Festival, held in my home city of Lagos, Nigeria. I was either in Germany, Oman, Turkey or The Netherlands.
Not being around for Felabration all these years always felt like a lot was missing and I looked forward eagerly to the time I will finally witness it live in Lagos.
Felabration is the annual festival of music and arts, commemorating the life and times of Nigeria’s foremost musical icon, the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, popularly known as the king of Afrobeat, Black President, Abami Eda (weird One) amongst many other aliases.
The idea and conception of Felabration as an annual celebration was conceived by Fela’s eldest child, Yeni, in 1998. With the exception of 1999, Felabration has developed exponentially and 2017 being the 20th year of Fela Anikulapo’s passing makes this particular Felabration important.
Being around this time, I was definitely going to be a part of it. By the time Felabration 2017 kicked off on 9 October, many fans were ready, tourists from all around the world were in Lagos specifically to be a part of Felabration in the home city of Afrobeat. I even hosted a friend from Spain for this event.
I have witnessed Felabration around cities in Europe and the one I found spectacular was the massive show at The Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Felabration 2016). Felabration starts in many parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas, from the beginning of Spring (end of February/March) till the end of September in many parts. I’m talking totalling hundreds of Afrobeat concerts around the world in honour of Fela Anikulapo- Kuti.
For many Afrobeat fans globally, to be in Lagos Nigeria, especially during Felabration is huge and huge as it offers the opportunity to witness Afrobeat in it’s purest form, performed by the direct descendants of the genre.
The array of Nigerian superstars is dizzying, the crowd, unimaginable as it was seven days of non stop festivities all around the New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja and Freedom Park, Lagos and numerous other venues, showcased scores of Nigerian and international artists.
Felabration is an official tourist destination of The Lagos State Government. Over the years it has attracted music stars, including: the late Lucky Dube, Baba Maal, Les Nubians, Asa, Tuface, Kymani Marley, Pasuma Wonder, Wizkid, Hugh Masakela, King Sunny Ade, Seun Kuti, and many others.
This memorial year, marked the 20th year since the passing of Fela, it featured new exciting events: Fine Arts Competitions, Afrobeat Dance Competition and Kalakuta Street Carnival on Gbemisola Street Ikeja, home of the Kalakuta Museum. Events were held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, Terra Kulture and Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Yaba.
The final day, 15 October. The city had seen one full week of music and massive festivities – the kind never seen before, the whole crew, fans and the Kuti family members, at this point, were still firing on, in spite of not having a straight good sleep for days and days.
Felabration 2017 has come and gone. Preparation for the next one, in 2018, starts now. Special thanks to the (FOC) Felabration Organizing Committee for a fantastic job. Well done.
Beautiful!!! Thanks Bolaji for ‘Being the’ EYES’ & letting us All See & Feel a part of ‘Felabration!! I am hoping to make it there & Experiece first’hand the Powerful Joyous Festivities that Felabration IS All About!!!! 😉 ALAFIA!!!
Thank you so much, Mindy… I hope I am able to tell the story in a way people can understand.. Thank you always..