Fela's trip to Hard Rock delayed

From 25 May some of Fela's personal items were supposed to find a place among a collection of items, now displayed by Hard Rock Cafe, from world-famous artists including Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix. The Fela event will now take place at an unspecified date.

"Owing to unavoidable circumstances, the Fela induction and post-induction performances by Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti scheduled initially for Thursday 25th May 2017 at Hard Rock Café Lagos have been postponed," a statement from organisers Temple Management Company reads. "The Temple Management Company prides itself on the highest standards of security, logistics and event preparation.

"Following a thorough reconnaissance of the venue and the concurrent hosting of another significant event within the same premises, we have agreed, along with Hard Rock Café, the Kuti family and our other partners, that it is prudent to reschedule the Fela events to a later date. We look forward to seeing you at the event when a new date is announced as we continue our mission to celebrate the best of African entertainment. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued support."

The event was expected to be attended by Lemi Ghariokwu, the artist responsible for several Fela album covers. Last year, a similar event was organised for juju music great King Sunny Ade who donated a guitar, the first item owned by a Nigerian to be collected by the cafe.

"The vintage Fender guitar of legendary juju maestro King Sunny Ade becomes the first ever memorabilia to be donated by a Nigerian to the Hard Rock memorabilia archive," states a note by the cafe. "He fondly refers to the guitar as his 'baby' and has played it for over 30 years. This was what he played while composing his hit track 'Synchro System'. The album earned him his first Grammy nomination and he has since then risen to global recognition."