Felabration 2017 to focus on Fela's 'prophecy'

The annual celebration of the life and legacy of Fela has been hosted by the Afrobeat artist’s family since his death in 1997. In celebration of his legacy two decades after his death, the festival will run under the theme The Prophecy.

The announcement was made at the Kalakuta Museum in Ikeja, Lagos, on 2 August when the Ransome-Kuti family hosted members of the press. The focus for the forthcoming edition is meant to highlight Fela's relevance to today's society even as his songs were released decades ago.

"If Fela was alive what would he say about today,” asked Theo Lawson, chairman of the Felabration organising committee. “We look around us today and wonder what has really changed. We hope we move from talk to action ... some positive change."

"Lagos is 50, Festac was 40 years ago and Abami Eda joined the ancestors 20 years ago," a statement released by the organisers reads. "A lot has changed since and much more remains the same. We have grown older but not necessarily wiser. We have resources but no wealth, doctors but no health, government but little progress. 'The Prophecy' was foretold long ago by our Chief Priest, Black President, Original Sufferhead, Fela long ago."

A short documentary on the annual event was screened at the conference. It showed scenes from past editions interspersed with short interviews with Fela's offspring, Femi and Yeni Kuti. "Thousands of people troop in," Femi Kuti said, acknowledging the support of the general populace in hosting the event. And a clip from the 2010 Felabration event showed Yemi Osinbajo, now acting president of Nigeria, speaking about Fela. “I’m a pastor. What's a good guy like me doing with Fela?" he asks, before saying Fela's music built a bridge between different types of people.

This year, Felabration will host several events, including a dance competition, children's debate on the topic African history: is it a curriculum necessity or not?, a Fela symposium on the pan-African dream, and an art exhibition. "We are also planning a tourist package," Lawson said. Important spaces to Fela’s story would be visited during the tour.

Felabration will touch down at Notting Hill, Lawson said. This overseas celebration is a gesture of gratitude by the organisers, as persons living in the UK district protested when Fela was arrested by the Nigerian government in the 1980s.

Felabration was one of two African music festivals that made it into a recent list of 300 best festivals in the world. "Felabration is the only festival in the world that celebrates the life and contributions of one man," the compilers of the list said.