Fela! Baba Fela!!

Fela Anikulapu Kuti was a force to reckon with in the music industry. Fela was natural. He was born by Reverend Ransome Kuti and Mrs Funmilayo ransome Kuti. His mother was the first woman to drive a motor car in Lagos. Professor Olikoye Ransome Kuti was his elder brother while Beko Ransome Kuti was his younger brother. The three of them were forces to reckon with in their chosen areas of endeavours. His elder brother Professor Ransome Kuti was minister of health under the General Ibrahim Babangida eight-year rule as Nigeria’s military President. Professor Olikoye gave Nigeria the Primary healthcare system which was a huge success in health care delivery till date. Dr Beko was Fela’s personal physician and also a human right activist. A first-class activist at that. Reverend Ransome Kuti sent the three brothers to school to study medicine. Fela Anikulapo Kuti decided to follow his dream which was to do music. Fela did not study medicine as his father sent him but he went ahead to become a successful musician. Fela too was a human right activist as he used his songs to talk about human right abuses in Nigeria and elsewhere.

I think I read about Fela’s life over a decade ago and I was fascinated by his decisions and the will to stand and pursue it to the last. Fela against all odds became a successful musician. He dropped the name Ransome because he said he did not want any one to hold him to ransome (ha ha). I like Fela because he was predictable. His life was a predictable one. When anything happened in the society you could predict what Fela Anikulapo will say. Fela was the favourite of journalists. Whatever he says makes the headlines. He feared no military or civilian administration. He always said the truth not minding whose oxe was gored. The government disliked him for his truthfulness but trust the masses, they loved him dearly. Fela had some vices in his walk and I do not subscribe or recommend those to anyone. For instance, he stays undressed most times even on stage while singing. He married twenty-seven wives in one day. He also smoked and drank during his days. Don’t copy those traits ooo. They are vices.

Fela was predictable. That’s key. Very key. If someone said Fela said Germany meant “ijamani” (Hitler was from Germany) and journalist meant “journey specialist” people will laugh. If they said he had chains of girlfriends’ people will just say that was expected. It was a predictable life. They knew where he stood. Some people who should be predictable are not that predictable! How do I mean? Am just ruminating ni ooo. It makes the news when clerics do the wrong. The reason is because they are supposed to always do the right as they are quite known or expected to be close to God. A cleric somewhere caught with human body parts is a surprising news. I do not like such clerics. Such clerics are not predictable like Fela. They say one thing and do another thing. Fela beat them to it on that. One cannot go on and on, and can also go on and on with catalogues of examples. Not just clerics are affected but in every facet of life. Whatever you do or who ever you are, just be predictable. If lie is found where truth should be it makes it crazy. When it comes to predictability is Fela better than you or not? Think about it.

https://newkokoro.com/2019/03/26/why-some-people-liked-and-loved-fela-anikulapo-kuti/