In Africa, where culture is aurally trnasmissitted, the passing away of a griot is said to be the bye-word for the disappearance of a library. We at IDMW.com thought it was our duty – seven years after his death on Aug, 02 1997 - to provide you with this tribute to one of the most charismatic musicians that the word has ever known, with the help of one of his trulliest respectful descendants. Ladies and gentlemen : Fela Anikulapo Kuti, by Joe Claussell…

If there was anything to resume what Fela was to me, I would say that he'll remain as a spiritual, political and musical guide. One can say about his music that itwas some sort of abstract soul because of the numberless influences it would provide. Most particularily in the States, from James Brown and Funkadelic to Miles Davis. For the African and more precisely the Nigerian which he happened to be, there was no genre that wouldn't touch him one way or another, considering the fact that musical fiber is a common thing to many of the people hailing from this country. And talking about Fela's Music – what is used to be called world and, even more, Afro beat – it was quite easy to feel its instinctual soul and funk weavings.

There's definitely a relation between his life and the one of those millions of Afro-Americans that we are and even further. I believe that if Fela was using his music as a medium to express what could happen in Africa and more precisely in Nigeria, his message was in fact far more universal, dedicated to all the Africans living in the world. This said, pretending that Fela was the Bob Marley of world beat for reggae was both right and wrong. Right, admitting the fact that both of them have managed to provide themselves with the opportunity to deliver the very depth of their thoughts to the world. Wrong, considering that we're above  everything individuals carrying a message. Bob Marley'd never been the only messenger hailing from Jamaica and this also applies to Fela. I'd like then to make a short reference to house music. A concept that has never gained the recognition, unlike soul, funk and hip hop. It's not only because of the absence of significant messages, but also due to the lack of serious from a big majority of its actors. We've indeed got something to laugh at facing all these attempts to vulgarise Afro beat when so many people do not have a single idea of its signification. You would even hear about the emergence of an Afro house scene ! Why now ? Fela has been doing music for years. He was already there in the 50's. What about this stir now ?  How come do we feel so much concerned about what Fela was doing back in time ?

Men have always shown signs of interest to what may seen new to him, but the question is to know wheter he's sincere or not, if this comes from an appeal of the heart or a need from the spirit… Unless we're trying to make ours something which definitely is not, as it's most often the case today…

I ain't got nothing to complain, now that Fela has passed away, seing his repertoire being partially re-released in order to show the world who he was. It's something that had to be done. But seing people trying to take that phenomen over for themselves is another thing. I would be tempted to think that this current hype around afro house comes from the fact that there's nothing else at the moment. The Philly Sound is already quite far and not so many people are real inventors. On the other hand, we mustn't condamn the machines for having allowed a certain amount of "lazy" people tohave an access to production, as they've simultaneously helped others to do create without the obligation of hiring musicians.

Select a record rather than an other within this collection of Fela's music ? Impossible. I've always considered his work as a whole, coz' I've always felt concerned by the man, his history and consequently his music… You may see people having histories and others being themselves History. This is why they're doing albums. And it's not because one of them may seem less attractible, that you have to make abstraction of it, as long as you respect the artist. You'd rather have to take it as a part of his history, his life. So, when we come to tak about Fela, I like to say that I love his music as a whole and would be unable to tell you which album I prefer as when you love, you do it on every angle.

We should definitely be thankful for what Fela has achieved as a musician and I'd humbly like to add that it's been my case since my earliest years. But this doesn't limit itself to Fela and Nigeria. We should try to understand what Fela has accomplished and look far beyond. Try to consider Africa as a whole as it's full of anonymous Felas. Why wait any longer ? There are so many thing to discover … in Africa, Middle East and a little bit everywhere in the world. This is what Fela has spent his life telling us and what stands as his heritage…

Excerpts from a document released in July 1999       

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