@tushutt:
I will answer your question directly: No Fela is not a Nigerian Icon, FELA IS A GLOBAL ICON.

I don't know the depth of your knowledge and appreciation about music, poetry, politics and human right and freedom, anybody with an average awareness will know that Fela is a leader in these fields. Just go to America and see how Fela is been worshipped and analysed on the broadway, come to the theatres in UK and see how the british and europeans troop to watch Fela musicals, even I'm always amazed how well known and liked Fela is among my other African friends.

About some of his lifestyles, Fela is not a muslim or christian he's an 'AFRICAN' and I hope you know that polygamy is not an offence in african culture and religions. I'm not saying that Fela is perfect as a human being but just remember that nobody has ever been and nobody will ever be! Winston Churchill was voted for as the greatest briton and the best prime minister ever in the united kingdom in the last century even though he was an alcoholic, but people are still celebrating and appreciating his vision and ideas about humanity till today, JFK is regarded as one of the best presidents ever in America even though it was well known that he was a chronic womaniser, same for Bill clinton, the list is endless.

A lot of people were quiet mainly out of fear when fela was speaking against corruption, human right abuse and bad leadership years ago, today we can all see why fela was so concerned for Nigeria and Nigerians.

'A PROPHET DOESN'T HAVE HONOUR IN HIS OWN TOWN, '

@OP  . . . . . . .i get your point nd ure making a LOAD ov sense  . . ,  mayb onli FELA'S music was gud , he criticized de wrong deeds ov de govt  . . . . .buh his public image was nutin 2 rite home about nd we all knw it

Fela smokes weed, had several wives, died of aids!

Fela was a mad song writer, played the saxophone, keyboard, trumpet etc. .
Fela was an activist dat fought 4 human rights, fela saw the future we live in today!

Internationally, he's been remembered for his music. . .
That makes him an ICON.

Many youths that chose to follow his weakness instead of his strenghts, av themselves to blame!

I learnt the saxophone cos of fela. . .
He's my role model.
U cant tel me he's a bad rolemodel, cos he smokes weed.

Chose what u want in life, when u do bad, dnt blame it on a public figure. . . Thats hypocricy! You chose the bad urself. . .

FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI ABAMI EDA BABA 70. . .
LEGEND FROM NIGERIA, MUSIC ICON RECOGNISED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Fela smokes weed, had several wives, died of aids!

Fela was a mad song writer, played the saxophone, keyboard, trumpet etc. .
Fela was an activist dat fought 4 human rights, fela saw the future we live in today!

Internationally, he's been remembered for his music. . .
That makes him an ICON.

Many youths that chose to follow his weakness instead of his strenghts, av themselves to blame!

I learnt the saxophone cos of fela. . .
He's my role model.
U cant tel me he's a bad rolemodel, cos he smokes weed.

Chose what u want in life, when u do bad, dnt blame it on a public figure. . . Thats hypocricy! You chose the bad urself. . .

FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI ABAMI EDA BABA 70. . .
LEGEND FROM NIGERIA, MUSIC ICON RECOGNISED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

I believe after taking note of the number of for and against on this forum, we can pretty much agree that Fela is an ICON, World ICON!

Re: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon
« #130 on: Today at 01:53:25 PM »
Fela smokes weed, had several wives, died of aids!
Fela was a mad song writer, played the saxophone,
keyboard, trumpet etc. .
Fela was an activist dat fought 4 human rights, fela saw
the future we live in today!
Internationally, he's been remembered for his music. . .
That makes him an ICON.
Many youths that chose to follow his weakness instead of
his strenghts, av themselves to blame!
I learnt the saxophone cos of fela. . .
He's my role model.
U cant tel me he's a bad rolemodel, cos he smokes weed.
Chose what u want in life, when u do bad, dnt blame it
on a public figure. . . Thats hypocricy! You chose the bad
urself. . .
FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI ABAMI EDA BABA 70. . .
LEGEND FROM NIGERIA, MUSIC ICON RECOGNISED ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
@Tosinanded u are right man, everybody has to choose what he wants from the life of a person, you got the saxophone and that's good for you. As for me, I got the African Pride from him, I dress Africa, and I'm writing a book on African Culture, to all other posters, nobody holy pass, not even your so called Pastors and bishops, not even the Pope, they are all bunch of hypocrites, there is a big ''man of God'' in Europe who is in jail for child Abuse. The man of God had sex with an underaged boy of 17. This man of God has abt 3000 members in his church. I won't call his name cuz I'm not here 2 rubbish anyone. Talking abt Fela not having a character, does the Oyinbo man has a character? A place where a man marry his fellow man, or is it right just because it is done by Oyinbo? Fela sings half Naked, and so what? Oyinbo people almost go naked 2 win a beauty contest and de culture has been passed to us, Fela has his faults just like me and any other dude out there on nairaland, but if u think say u holy pass, look into my eyes and tell me say u passRe: Is Fela Really A Nigerian Icon
« #130 on: Today at 01:53:25 PM »
Fela smokes weed, had several wives, died of aids!
Fela was a mad song writer, played the saxophone,
keyboard, trumpet etc. .
Fela was an activist dat fought 4 human rights, fela saw
the future we live in today!
Internationally, he's been remembered for his music. . .
That makes him an ICON.
Many youths that chose to follow his weakness instead of
his strenghts, av themselves to blame!
I learnt the saxophone cos of fela. . .
He's my role model.
U cant tel me he's a bad rolemodel, cos he smokes weed.
Chose what u want in life, when u do bad, dnt blame it
on a public figure. . . Thats hypocricy! You chose the bad
urself. . .
FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI ABAMI EDA BABA 70. . .
LEGEND FROM NIGERIA, MUSIC ICON RECOGNISED ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
@Tosinanded u are right man, everybody has to choose what he wants from the life of a person, you got the saxophone and that's good for you. As for me, I got the African Pride from him, I dress Africa, and I'm writing a book on African Culture, to all other posters, nobody holy pass, not even your so called Pastors and bishops, not even the Pope, they are all bunch of hypocrites, there is a big ''man of God'' in Europe who is in jail for child Abuse. The man of God had sex with an underaged boy of 17. This man of God has abt 3000 members in his church. I won't call his name cuz I'm not here 2 rubbish anyone. Talking abt Fela not having a character, does the Oyinbo man has a character? A place where a man marry his fellow man, or is it right just because it is done by Oyinbo? Fela sings half Naked, and so what? Oyinbo people almost go naked 2 win a beauty contest and de culture has been passed to us, Fela has his faults just like me and any other dude out there on nairaland, but if u think say u holy pass, look into my eyes and tell me say u pass

semid4lyfe:

Tosin, you seem to be making a lot of sense these days

Biko, pass me some of that ish you're smoking

na grass i dey smoke o. . . Lol
check ur backyard, grass full dia

we all have points here . . . . . .he has his gud nd bad parts i agree. . . . .d guy don kpia abeg . . . . .i dnt have his tyme

Wooow! Being highly impressd is an understatement in qualifyn some candid, honest and intelligent posts av seen here, having said that, Posts like dis from d OP r sum of the results of half education and also intellectual laziness of the present day youths in nigeria, which is rather unfortunate!

No doubt about it in my mind, Fela was (and still is) a Global icon.

No matter whatever anyone says about my Idol of Ideology that will never stop me from being a Felamaniac.
Baba let them wait and see.
I pledge 2 start the Movement of the People very soon.
With the struggle i stand

Fela is a DemiGod,he is deified.Truth is eternal

cicero:

When Fela broadway came to Nigeria his fans smoked indian hemp openly to celebrate him, some online websites 'proudly' posted the picture of a lady doing just that. Is that the legacy of a national icon? Though we may not admit, people easily follow the lifestyle of icons, not their message.
Is he an icon because he is 'open' with his lifestyle while others like our politicians hide theirs? No, they are birds of the same feather operating in different locations and sooner or later it will catch up and they will be exposed.

It seems you are grudgingly acknowledging that Fela is ab icon despite yourself. If that is so, then I say congrats for facing the reality even if you do not like the man's lifestyle.

Fela an Icon = Yes

Fela a role model = Musically Yes,Lifestyle No

But it has been said,do what i say,don't do what i do.

This post should be taken off and the OP banned, Dont criticize the messenger, DID U GET THE FARKING MESSAGE!!!!

I dont blame this poster as i'm very sure he must be a kiddo. Son, ask people who witnessed the FELA phenomenon and you will realize asking if he is a Nigerian icon is a bloody understatement. FELA IS A WORLD ICON!!! I cannot think of ANY nigerian that is close. Nigeria never honoured him but the world does.or you think its dodo to have a broadway play made out of your life?(which turned out to be one of broadways biggest hit, by the way)do you think its easy been in worlwide acclaim several years after your death?recognised as a genius by the likes of Paul McCartney,Stevie wonder,Jay-z, Beyonce,Hugh Masakela etc,etc I still get the goose whenever i remember watching this extraordinary person right from kalakuta,pepple street, and much later at the Brixton academy.The man is a musical genius, a legend of whom we will speak a hundred years from now and he was a humanist and a pan africanist of note too.One of my proudest moments as a Nigerian was that hot july 4th summer afternoon right there in disneyland when the pulsating rhytmn of ZOMBIE came air(the only non american music played)with that unmistakably fela's sax signature.


, Iba re, Olufela Anikulapo omo Kuti,Omo eleniyan, Omo Iya aje, Once again, I pour libation for a very heavy 'Orisa'

@OP wetin dey worry some of us for this we naija sef see how you dey run Baba Fela down chai!! Anyway everyone is entitled to an opinion even the mad man walking the streets has one. Would like your kid to grow up to be responsible for the death of thousands of Japanese civilians? I guess not Albert Einstein the academic icon was the brain behind the creation of the atomic bomb. Even Jesus Christ is still not accepted as a figure to be emulated by the Jews yet he is regarded as one of the iconic figures to ever walk the earth. So guy, if you don't see Fela as an icon just because he chose to smoke weed and chose not to smother himself by wearing suits, it's your choice. However instead sitting there criticizing try and start something that can make you as indelible as the likes of Fela in the memory of History.

No, Fela isn't a Nigerian icon, he's a global icon - evergreen and unforgettable. Prophet, activist, artiste and King.

you guys should have taken time out to check out the OP's profile picture,  he's indeed a kid! he should be commenting about the likes of mo'hits, p square, d'banj, timaya etc. he has indeed bitten more than he could chew by starting this thread.

thumbs up to tosinaded, ikooko, sicherheit, zionic, walala, eghost and other fela fans.

i was never @empire but i was there all tru @pepple street,  imagine someone that never witnessed any of fela's performances starting a thread like this, that makes it so annoyin, gosh!!,   op, pls dont always believe everything u read in papers.

you talked abt fela smoking weeds!! do u know how many of our so called great leaders are weed smokers, adulterers, wife beaters, man-lover. especialy most of these top millitary guys smoke weed (i know wat am talkin abt here).

and i f u had been to fela's shrine b4, u wld hv known that it was not all abt riff raffs, area boys, unemployed etc. u needed to see the calibre of people there! it was a mixture of d rich n poor, the educated n d illetrates, d stars etc,  everyone was equal at d shrine. no vip session. i remember standing beside RASHEED GBADAMOSI on several occassions @shrine.

if fela was to perform in 2020, d way he used to perform when he was alive (90's) without changing or adding anything, that performance would still be a world class performance, his stage acts n performance was ahead of its time, forget technology! he wouldn't need much of it to make u feel him.

[b]F[/b]or
[b]E[/b]ver
[b]L[/b]ives
[b]A[/b]frica/Afrobeat

Fela is an icon and a Legend. i think many people (Africans) still need to listen to some of his unreleased albums to understand him better.

C.O.P ------------------ COUNTRY OF PAIN

A.S.B.O.P ----------------------- AKUNAKUNA SENIOR BROTHER OF PERAMBULATOR

M.A.S.S ------------------------------- MOVEMENT AGAINST SECOND SLAVERY

C.A.C.M.L.N.H.N.N.N.F.S --------------------------- CHOP AND CLEAN MOUTH LIKE NOTHING HAPPEN NA NEW NAME FOR STEALING

B.B.C ----------------------------------------- BIG BLIND COUNTRY

C.R.F.J.J -----------------------------------------  CLEAR ROAD FOR JAGAJAGA

C.S.A.S --------------------------------- CONDOM SCALLYWAGY AND SCATTER

which one dey again? i beg help me out,

i also recomend these albums to people out there,

1. center of the world ft roy hayes roy something sha (an african american)

2.  look and laugh

3. coffin for head of state

4. o.d.o.o , overtake don overtake overtake

5.  m.o.p (2) ,  movement of the people (2)

6. power show

one of his favorite quotes was THINK AFRICA, BUY AFRICA, think like a true african and inculcate african ideology and culture. his icons were africans like kwame nkrumah, gabriel el salesei, patrick mulumba and african americans who bought african ideologies like marcus garvey, malcom x.

he was a prophet, a poet, a musician, a preacher, an artist, a genius, a composer, an instrumentalist, a human activist, an entertainer, a comedian, a pan africanist, a hero, a legend, an icon,

he is one of the few non tribalist nigerians.

ABAMI EDA GAN GAN, ELENIYAN, OMO IYA AJE, OMO PASTOR TO N FAGBO, AUGUSTINE, IGBOLABI, ANIBGOLAPO, BABA 70, CHOIR MASTER, MICHEAL JACKSON (HE GOT MOVES, MEHN).

where's d op again? i guess he has been tutored very well.  your topic should have been " i want to know more about fela"

fela is a world icon = no doubt

[size=20pt]FELA = LEGEND[/size]