Photo credit: felakuti.com
I did a post on Abami Eda two days ago to mark the twenty first anniversary of the great musician’s death. As would be expected of a post in the social media, the story was not so extensive, not because I didn’t have the materials, but from experience, people do not normally have time to read long stories.
However, yesterday, a ratio station, did the first part of a story on Fela. The important thing to pick from the story is the fact that Baba was playing jazz and high life but was still a struggling musician.
Not until he heeded his mother’s advice did he start succeeding and his albums started making bumper sales.
What was his mother’s advice. The mother told him to be singing songs that his people will understand.
And that was it!
His albums started making him real money. His public.performances were also making him good money.
Even before Fela and definitely after him, musicians who have refused to be bound by their western education have been successful.
We have people like Bobby Benson, Ayinde Fashola, Yusuf Olatunji, Tunde Nightingale, Victor Olaiya, Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla, Haruna Ishola, Ayinla Omowura, Dagrin, KSA, Chief Commander, etc.
They drew from our rich culture and they were the better for it. I believe it’s a waste of time for any musician to be trying to copy foreign culture of which music is one.
I once read that on one of Fela’s initial visits to America, the hall started becoming empty and they were telling him that they did not want another Boney M.
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