Artistes rally for Felabration!

15 years after the death of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, his children, and indeed the entire music industry is poised to keep his memory, hence the annual musical concert tagged Felabration. This year, the stage appears set again for another explosive week-long potpourri of activities that remind all about the ideals of the man called Fela in all spheres of human life.

At the New Afrika Shrine, Tuesday, artistes and show promoters gathered at a press conference to announce plans for this year’s event. Yeni Kuti assured all that Femi and Seun will be around this year to add pep energy to the show. It would be recalled that last year, the two biological children of the late sage were out of the country when the show held. But the spirit of Fela which had been able to garner surrogate children kept the show alive, such that Femi and Seun were almost not missed.   

Femi Esho, the oldest man in the Felabration culture, is optimistic that the concert is the best think to sustain the memory of Fela. A member of the planning committee, Olajide Bello, revealed that the theme for this year is Africa; Center of the World. He said the concert derives its theme every year from the popular songs that Fela did when he was alive.

He said Lagos state is among the various sponsors of this year’s concert, and that state has supported the initiative with cash.

This year’s Felabration is expected to be a 7-day of unadulterated music every night. Screens will be provided to beam event to all. Other pre activities include schools debate, and symposium. Bello said this was so because Fela was, apart from music, a great intellectual when alive. He was said to have lectured in well over 25 universities. Topic of the schools symposium, he said, is Corruption and The Next Generation. The music concert is expected to follow the symposium for the next six days, with a promise of Alicia Keys, Fali Pupa, and other foreign artiste to be on ground.
The Felabration week partners include Center for Contemporary Art, Terra Culture, Ayo Bankole Center in Surulere. There will also be a Fela Book Festival where books that he made references to will be on display. And apart from converting his Kalakuta Republic into a museum, a carnival with large floats is expected to run through Ikeja and environs.

This year is the second edition of the Senior Secondary Schools debate will run under the theme; Social Media in Africa, Good or Evil? Judges for the debate which will include private and public schools in Lagos include Funmi Iyanda, Jole Silva, and Dr Faloye among others. Defending Champion is Vivian Fowler Memorial Secondary School, winner of the debate last year.