“Femi wanted to be himself, break away and be free. Another maverick, he achieved huge fame.”
FELA never wanted to be like anyone. Fela was unique. He so wanted to be authentic that he created his own music, Afrobeat which shook world and reverberated across continents. Fela was Nigeria greatest musician and still is. Today, Nigerian music has taken over the world, thanks to Fela’s genius. Nigeria’s largest legend. Fela is the Everest of music, undoubtedly. I met the man once, up close and personal and I realised why everyone wanted to be in his presence, to kowtow and worship in his shrine. He was magnetic. Fela was spiritual. Fela was a prophet and like John the Baptist cried in the wilderness, alone and persecuted. He was a god.
Femi wanted to be himself, break away and be free. Another maverick, he achieved huge fame.
Seun was just 14 when the Egypt 80 performed Live at the AIT Dome in Alagbado. I saw greatness, I saw passion, I saw talent, I saw brilliance and today, Seun is one of the biggest musical geniuses to come out of Nigeria, just like his brother, Femi, having honed their skills from when they were mere children.
Made, the refined stone, I missed when my daughter was interviewed by one of the biggest hosts on Radio who said, “I wish she had met Made, he was on yesterday and they are both exceptionally brilliant. At such a young age, Made is a star, a real musician, not just some crooner.
The ecclectic Yeni holds her own in her craft and made dancing beautiful and respectable. A woman who knows the business of music.
The Kutis aren’t ordinary people, they are progenitors of culture. There’s no time to devle into the great Funmilayo Ransome Kuti or Beko Kuti who dedicated his life to advocacy and tackling the establishment… that family tree is not ordinary. Let’s not belittle our bests, bad mouth them just because we are angry. Tolerance is the new word. Tolerance has replaced love because love has proved elusive. Tolerance is the real passing out certificate of an educated mind. If you don’t have it, you are not better than the beast in the field.
Abeg make I go smoke my Igbo. E remain one wrap from last week.
Danisa is a fashion, movies, and music writer. She’s also the executive producer of “World of Women” on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
