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Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon - Music/Radio - Nairaland

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Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 11:08am On Aug 05, 2011
Im starting this thread to know if fela there was anything else to fela's vocal crictism of the then militia government. Is he really a icon as in do we wat our childdren to be like him or what.
- walking nakedly in the streets shocked;
- marrying 27 wives in one day shocked;
- attempt to register his political party, MOP (Movement of the People), but was thwarted by a government who believed (accurately, as it turned out) that he wanted to cause an uprising.
- or smoking weeds openly;

even the popular afrobeat for which has been accredited to a particular tony allen
Fela once famously stated that, "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat".

so what exactly has he done to give him his "iconic status"

Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by ikooko(m): 2:50pm On Aug 05, 2011
If not for bad leadership in this country, FELA's SHRINE & KALAKUTA REPUBLIC would have been a mecca and source of inspiration to anyone that belief in Human Right Struggles.

FELA was a man who saw future beyond his time,
He talked about public facilities and expose government looting.
He talked about Religion and the associated hypocrisy;
He talk about Military and Politics and the associated abuses;
He talked about Human Right and Law.
Above all, he was not a coward but a nationalist.

Most of the issue he fought against more than  30yrs ago are the main challenges confronting our country today. If only we had listened and acted.

I will advice you to get copies of Fela's Albums, listen to them carefully to get the messages; then come back and answer your question.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 2:54pm On Aug 05, 2011
does anyone of you wish his child be live his life like fela   no i guess. then what is iconic about him??
list his significant achievements and dont bullshit me about afrobeat coz even fela credited it to someone else
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 3:00pm On Aug 05, 2011
ikooko:

If not for bad leadership in this country, FELA's SHRINE & KALAKUTA REPUBLIC would have been a mecca and source of inspiration to anyone that belief in Human Right Struggles.

FELA was a man who saw future beyond his time,
He talked about public facilities and expose government looting.
He talked about Religion and the associated hypocrisy;
He talk about Military and Politics and the associated abuses;
He talked about Human Right and Law.
Above all, he was not a coward but a nationalist.

Most of the issue he fought against more than  30yrs ago are the main challenges confronting our country today. If only we had listened and acted.

I will advice you to get copies of Fela's Albums, listen to them carefully to get the messages; then come back and answer your question.




thnanks for your answer
Him talking can be likened to the eedris abdulkareem/lagbaja/african china who are also are (though lesser) critics of the situation in the country  of nowadays singing

should we also turn them into icons

yes i agree fela was a vocal criric of the government
but calling him an icon is what im questioning

fela is no role model
no body wishes to live his life the way he did

and dont forget he tried politics himself if he had succeded would he have been better than the current crops of leaders
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by ikooko(m): 3:14pm On Aug 05, 2011
^^^ The fact that someone is your role model des not mean you want to copy everything about that person.
Look at FELA in this categories:
Life style
family
carrier
politics
music
human right
religion
education
law

Am sure you'll have issues with his lifestyle like any other person, but that to me is a personal issue.
Critically speaking, his lifestyle & music made him thick and different. Belief me ABAMI-EDA is an icon.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by Sicherheit(m): 3:37pm On Aug 05, 2011
Fela was a prophet, everything he sang about is coming true and like every prophet, no one pays attention until it is too late. undecided
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by campbell05: 3:39pm On Aug 05, 2011
insult to baba fela.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by eghost247(m): 3:40pm On Aug 05, 2011
Fela was an icon in someways just not in everyway FOR ALAGBON THEM GO LOCK U FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS DEM GO CALL AM INVESTIGATION grin grin grin
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by BigMeat2: 3:43pm On Aug 05, 2011
Fela may not be everybody's positive role model, he used his talent in music to tell true stories which are currently happening in our society today - e.g. vagabonds in government, religious leaders, suffering and smiling of the masses etc, Seems like he was able to see into the future (our present time).

Of course, I don't like his lifestyle, which he lived to the fullest, but hey what do I know.

We may all be suprise to find Fela in heaven.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 3:45pm On Aug 05, 2011
ikooko:

^^^ The fact that someone is your role model des not mean you want to copy everything about that person.
Look at FELA in this categories:
Life style -- i oviously dont want to live his kind of lifestyle  undecided
family -- a man drops his family name for anikulapo (he who has death in his pocket)  shocked

carrier -- i think this is his only plus he had a succesful career and african musicians will always remember him for this smiley

politics -- you would know that he tried to form his own political party, MOP (Movement of the People) which was not successful because his of his  
intent (to cause an uprising)

music -- same as career
human right -- im not aware of any individual case of human rights which fela fought legally, he was a staunch critic was all i know  

religion -- 27 wives in one day -- you must be kidding me

education -- he never advocated for this one of his songs even crictisised nigerian wmen who tried copying the westerners he tried to elevate the status of the market women compared to their european counterparts in that song.

law -- nil

Am sure you'll have issues with his lifestyle like any other person, but that to me is a personal issue.
Critically speaking, his lifestyle & music made him thick and different. Belief me ABAMI-EDA is an icon.

how does all these qualify him as an icon is what i want to know

Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 3:49pm On Aug 05, 2011
eghost247:

Fela was an icon in someways just not in everyway FOR ALAGBON THEM GO LOCK U FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS DEM GO CALL AM INVESTIGATION grin grin grin

If i go by your analogy i guess anybody who goes to alagbon for months can comeback as a national icon
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 3:51pm On Aug 05, 2011
campbell05:

insult to baba fela.

Who am i to insult baba fela all i am asking is why he is being referred to as a "national icon".
I respect his music and i still listen to a selected few on rare days
I dont think he has done anything to deserve that
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by eghost247(m): 3:58pm On Aug 05, 2011
tushutt:

If i go by your analogy i guess anybody who goes to alagbon for months can comeback as a national icon

dumbass i was only quoting his lyrics it has nothing to do with my post about him being an icon
Fela was Icon in alot of ways
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by Laajman(m): 3:59pm On Aug 05, 2011
1. He was very good at what he did, and this brought him global fame.
2. He stood up for/stood against corrupt leaders,

His personal life - wives, weed et al, shouldn't really be any of our business.

We should learn to appreciate our own.

I'm in a class in North America, and get talking with the white dude next to me. He finds out I'm Nigerian and boom, his first question: "do you know Fela?". Turns out he is a big fan.
Similarly, I've come across folks reading Chimamanda, "Things Fall Apart",

I even met a uk boy who chose to go to school in Bolton (as opposed to Univ. of Manch.) so he could see Okocha play regularly!
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by agog: 3:59pm On Aug 05, 2011
ikooko:

If not for bad leadership in this country, FELA's SHRINE & KALAKUTA REPUBLIC would have been a mecca and source of inspiration to anyone that belief in Human Right Struggles.

FELA was a man who saw future beyond his time,
He talked about public facilities and expose government looting.
He talked about Religion and the associated hypocrisy;
He talk about Military and Politics and the associated abuses;
He talked about Human Right and Law.
Above all, he was not a coward but a nationalist
.

Most of the issue he fought against more than  30yrs ago are the main challenges confronting our country today. If only we had listened and acted.

I will advice you to get copies of Fela's Albums, listen to them carefully to get the messages; then come back and answer your question.


Well said. He remain a life ICON.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tosinaded(m): 4:00pm On Aug 05, 2011
shoot the poster abeg! how old are u?
go ask ur parents about fela my friend. . .
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by zionic(m): 4:05pm On Aug 05, 2011
What FELA did for this country is what we are still trying to enjoy as a democratic nation.
He was the voice of millions of voiceless Nigerians.
He is a Musical icon,Human rights Icon,Freedom fighting icon,Fashion Designer icon and Pan Africanic icon,
Weed smoking has nufin to do with it afterall,3/4 of Nigerians are high one way or other. smiley
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by ikooko(m): 4:08pm On Aug 05, 2011
@poster,
I think you may need to furnish us your criteria that qualifies for an Icon, maybe we can see it from your angle.

Do you know why he changed his family name?- because Ransome is a slave name. He refused to be identified as a slave.
Do you know why he married 27 wives in a day? Because government want to nail him for running a prostitution racket.The girls were his dancers.
Do you know why he was bold enough to form his own political party? He actually formed a movement for the emancipation of human rights and better living. Government refused him because government was scared of him movement.
Fela criticized so many issues, especially borrowed culture and practice. He was ORIGINAL not fake and he wanted everyone to be Original-- Nigerian--African.

If this is your project topic as it appears to me, you need to read more and find a way to talk to people that had first hand experience about him.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by brixton: 4:09pm On Aug 05, 2011
We knw dat op is making a valid point yet som NLers ar makin him seem senseless. Sum1 said Femi shrine shud bcome a national park/center,ar u sayin Nig.Govt shud legalise crimalty n train vagabonds to put our dear country beyond mystery?? Fela was a musical icon but NOT d kind of person i wnt to bcome or emulate wen i grow up!
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 4:11pm On Aug 05, 2011
@tosinaded

whatever happened to that piece of meat inbetween you  skull will remain a mystery unsolved

but for future purposes lemme get this into your empty skull

i was only asking a question ive read several books on fela and even listen to some of his songs. however i am asking what exactly elevated him to the iconic status.

why is soyinka a national icon? ans = the first african nobel laureate abi
why is fela a national icon? ans =
tosinaded@:

shoot the poster abeg! how old are u?
go ask your parents about fela my friend. . .

your answer really brings about questioning of your IQ level and reasoning capacity

Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by TayoUK(m): 4:12pm On Aug 05, 2011
What's the definition of an icon? There's a difference between icon and role model.

In your book, is Bob Marley an icon? Think we should learn to appreciate one of ours.

He's more popular outside Nigeria than many of your supposed role model Nigerians.

Yes, he's definitely a Nigerian icon.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tosinaded(m): 4:18pm On Aug 05, 2011
tushutt:

@tosinaded

whatever happened to that piece of meat inbetween you skull will remain a mystery unsolved

but for future purposes lemme get this into your empty skull

i was only asking a question ive read several books on fela and even listen to some of his songs. however i am asking what exactly elevated him to the iconic status.

why is soyinka a national icon? ans = the first african nobel laureate abi
why is fela a national icon? ans =

u re daft!
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by baslone: 4:19pm On Aug 05, 2011
Is it summer break already?  shocked
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by elcij(m): 4:21pm On Aug 05, 2011
It really is true that a prophet is never accepted in his own land. Sticking to just the musical side of Fela, why do folks consider Bob Marley an icon? Tupac? Biggy?
We nigerians dont really appreciate the treasure we had in Fela, its foreigners as usual that are immortalizing him. Give them time, they will soon bastardize his message and claim it for themselves and we will all be looking shocked when our children think Fela was pro west. Just watch.

Fela is an icon, if only for his

[list]
[li]exposing the practice of non african religions as hypocrisy and part of the colonization process.[/li]
[li]selfless fight against injustice, nepotism, corruption and most importantly "colonial mentality"[/li]
[li]struggle to free people who still have not realized that they are nothing more than slaves to a corrupt system.[/li]
[li]vision and ability to see beyond the illusions that continually shackle africans and nigerians especially[/li]
[/list]

I could go on, but the truth is if you're not ready to understand Fela's message no amount of yarns will change that.

He was not a saint and no man is. Take what you will from his message and ignore the rest.

And just to clarify Fela created afrobeat. Tony Allen was very instrumental in creating the drum patterns. Tony Allen does not claim that he invented afrobeat.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tosinaded(m): 4:21pm On Aug 05, 2011
tushutt:

i was only asking a question ive read several books on fela and even listen to some of his songs. however i am asking what exactly elevated him to the iconic status.

u av read so many books on fela, yet u dnt know why he's an ICON. . . . .
whats ur IQ?   grin grin grin

Obama smokes cigarretes so he's disqualified from being a role model se?
ur line of thinking is childish and myopic grin grin

grow the fck up
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tosinaded(m): 4:23pm On Aug 05, 2011
the annoying part is that u no even wan listen to wetin people dey talk. . . . .
if ur mind is made up, why make ur topic public?
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by Kay1kay1(m): 4:25pm On Aug 05, 2011
Fela was a patriot and an African icon. If he were alive today ,
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by Walala(m): 4:26pm On Aug 05, 2011
Fela saw the trickery in the Nigerian government and he used his only weapon (music) to fight against the games being by Obasanjo and Co. who funny enough are still oppressing us till today.  Listen to his songs and you will see that what he was saying back then is still happening today.

He is a Nigerian Icon because he fought for change and now I ask you what have you done for your country?

Well you can question his status but outsiders are singing his praise.

Imagine Che Guevara and Bob Marley rolled into one person and you get a sense of Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti. ”
— Herald Sun, February 2011


PLease close this thread ASAP.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tosinaded(m): 4:28pm On Aug 05, 2011
@poster

pls show us where u read that fela used to walk the streets naked
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by hackney(m): 4:30pm On Aug 05, 2011
YES, He was an icon and will forever be.

He was an unbiased  strong voice that spoke for the people and against oppression, corruption and general political moral decadence.
He was zero materialistic despite his wealth.

The man had guts and i will always respect him.
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by tushutt(m): 4:31pm On Aug 05, 2011
tosinaded@:

u av read so many books on fela, yet u dnt know why he's an ICON. . . . .
whats your IQ?   grin grin grin

Obama smokes cigarretes so he's disqualified from being a role model se?
your line of thinking is childish and myopic grin grin

grow the fck up

Ill ignore you
el_cij:

It really is true that a prophet is never accepted in his own land. Sticking to just the musical side of Fela, why do folks consider Bob Marley an icon? Tupac? Biggy?
We nigerians dont really appreciate the treasure we had in Fela, its foreigners as usual that are immortalizing him. Give them time, they will soon bastardize his message and claim it for themselves and we will all be looking shocked when our children think Fela was pro west. Just watch.

Fela is an icon, if only for his

[list]
[li]exposing the practice of non african religions as hypocrisy and part of the colonization process.[/li]
[li]selfless fight against injustice, nepotism, corruption and most importantly "colonial mentality"[/li]
[li]struggle to free people who still have not realized that they are nothing more than slaves to a corrupt system.[/li]
[li]vision and ability to see beyond the illusions that continually shackle africans and nigerians especially[/li]
[/list]

I could go on, but the truth is if you're not ready to understand Fela's message no amount of yarns will change that.

He was not a saint and no man is. Take what you will from his message and ignore the rest.

And just to clarify Fela created afrobeat. Tony Allen was very instrumental in creating the drum patterns. Tony Allen does not claim that he invented afrobeat.

you answered my question thanks for that and i think i now get it thanks for the explanation and thanks et al
Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon by bossinie: 4:32pm On Aug 05, 2011
tosinaded@:

shoot the poster abeg! how old are u?
go ask your parents about fela my friend. . .

Very easy to deduce your lack of assimilation of the subject matter,poster knows enough to ask a well articulated question which you have no answer to.However, as long as most of us will not wish for our children or wards to live or end-up like Fela then it is hypocritical to label him an 'icon'. smiley

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