Nigeria, the land of plenty

Fela lives on Every year in October, Felabrations commemorate the memory of Fela Anikulapo Kuti for a whole week. This edition has been widely celebrated in several places in town. Obviously the biggest part of it was taking place at the New Afrika Shrine in Alausa. Freedom Park, in Lagos Island, has also had its fair share of Afrobeat celebration every night of the week. And for the VIPs, a function was organised at the Federal Palace hotel under a properly air-conditioned tent used for up-market weddings. Large VIP areas had been demarcated for the occasion, furnished with minimalist white sofas and a few fancy looking chairs and high tables towards the front of the stage. The line-up was great: Bez, Nnekka, Seun Kuti and Femi Kuti. One could have thought that it was worth going to only this event because of the great artist line-up and the fact that it was much more comfortable going there than all the way down to the New Africa Shrine which offers a somewhat rough environment ...

Arese Amokpae in the role of Sandra This week is the week of Felabrations . Many music events are celebrating the memory of Fela Kuti across Lagos. Freedom Park has a series of Afro-beat concerts, same thing at the New Afrika Shrine . And this year a musical called Fela - arrest the music, written by Paul Ugbede, in reference to the life of Fela, in Nigeria, during which Fela was a strong critic of the short-comings of successive governments and generals. State coffers where used to fill private pockets, especially with bubbling oil resources being the main government income. Theft, corruption were the essential ways to get rich for the happy few who in the meantime ignored the poverty and the stagnation of the masses. The musical was played at Muson Centre, the classical musical institution of Lagos. It was musically directed by a Nigerian who graduated at the Muson center itself, Ayo Ajayi, therefore one of the first musical made in Nigeria. This was, in my view, a very good th...

recent history at the new afrika shrine Fela used to play in a space called "the Shrine" which is no longer existing. His children have revived it in a new location called the "New Afrika Shrine". It is nonetheless full of the presence of Fela. The walls carry paintings, pictures, work of art and one corner is even a proper Yoruba shrine with all the wooden gods statues which Fela used to worship. Fela's shirt hanging The New Afrika Shrine is now located in Alausa a recently redeveloped area not far from the airport. This is actually a mix of governement buildings, compounds and not far a Shoprite mall. Avenues lined with trees have pushed away the once unsafe neighborhoods. the shrine within Security is anyway taken seriously around the Shrine, with a crew of watchman carrying sticks and whip to deter potential robbers that could be lurking in the dark around cars parked on the streets. on stage

backstage promotion During Felabrations, a whole crew of artists are invited to perform on the New Afrika Shrine. They gather at the back of the building and enter through "l'entrée des artistes" (a bamboo gate with strong security) to avoid mixing with the public. artists at l'entrée des artistes Two tents were acting as lounges for artists to interact with journalists, furnished with carpets, sofas and fake crystal lamps, dim lights, so that trendy artists could spend a pleasant time waiting for their turn. Another tent was sponsored by Orijin a soft drink made with local plants, tasting a bit like campari; It was served as cocktail with palm wine. cosily lounging Another corner was well lit for interviews, and then at the back of the building a long tent with long tables where food could be served. One passage is leading inside of the Shrine, along one side of the stage, while another one is leading to "les coulisses". Bright yellow wall...

we styled up for Felabrations 2015 Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a character of Nigeria's recent history. He passed away of AIDS in 1997. He is remembered every year in a festival called "Felabrations" organised by his children at the New Afrika Shrine among other locations. The place is like a giant market hall, a large concrete hall topped by a corrugated iron roof set a couple of meters above the walls to leave the wind carry away the heat from the sun during the day and from humans at night. It is also a sort of ventilation for the weed smoked. Non smokers definitely have their fair share of passive smoking in the course of an evening. It is the only place where weed is tolerated by the police, and a few streets away from the Shrine, people get arrested if they carry some. active and passive smoking The place is popular with youngsters. On Friday night, the crowd was immense, thousands of people outside looking at the action on the stage over a giant outdoor scre...