Felabration 2017 reminisces on Fela ‘Prophesy’

Motions are in top gear for Felabration, the annual festival to commemorate the life of activist and Afrobeats founder, Fela Kuti.
As usual, the festival proper will run for one week, beginning from Monday, October, 9 till Sunday, October 15 which is Fela’s birthday.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Fela’s death in 1997 and the central theme around the celebrations is ‘Prophesy’, the organisers said.
While alive, Fela turned some social, economic and political ills which affected Nigeria and Africa into chart-busting songs, which many listeners deemed prophetic.
And with the theme song, Pansa Pansa, the title of one of Fela’s song which literally means ‘you ain’t heard nothing yet’, the festival which was instituted by Fela’s daughter, Yeni Kuti and incorporates musical performances, Fela Debates, Symposium and Secondary Schools Debate and the Felabration Carnival, will increase its tempo.
Already, an art and painting competition was flagged off on April 1 and particpants have until June 30, 2017 to submit their works which will be evaluated by members of the Felabration Organising Committee (FOC) to pick out the top three winners which will be announced before July 31. The organisers also stated that the winning works will be exhibited on the Felabration website, www.felabration.net, New Afrika Shrine and Kalakuta Museum.
The organisers have also instituted a new addition, a tour package to walk tourists through major landmarks in Fela’s life. The tour will take tourists from Abeokuta, the birth/childhood place of Fela to Lagos where he lived and died. Tourists will also visit the house he was born in, his childhood neighbourhood and the schools he attended while growing up. They will also visit his first home in Lagos, his first ever club of performance, Afro-Spot, Old Shrine, site of old and first Kalakuta Republic among other places of interest.
And while most of the musical performances from various artistes will still take place at the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos, Freedom Park on Broad Street, Lagos Island will also play a big role in the musical aspects of Felabration.