When Fela Kuti died in August of 1997, Nigeria lost one of its greatest political activists and musical firebrands. Now, almost 25 years on from his death, his message of political freedom and musical exploration lives on in our minds and on the dance floor – helped along by Irfan Rainy’s annual celebration of Kuti at Manchester’s Soup, featuring DJ KISA.
You can’t consider the history of afrobeat without hearing the name Fela Kuti. Born in colonial Nigeria, Kuti’s upbringing was a combination of tradition interwoven with the emerging bourgeoise ethos heavily influenced by the West. It was the polarizing realities of Nigeria’s struggle with colonial suffocation, coupled with the idealistic desire for independence that lay the foundation for his future involvement in political activism and social justice. He created a legacy spanning far beyond his lifetime.
In his early days as a musician, Kuti’s anthems held little trace of the angst felt by many around him in the wake of decolonisation. It wasn’t until a trip to America where his eyes were opened to the political defiance of the Black Panthers and Malcolm X. This trip signified a turning point in his career: Kuti retired the love songs and party anthems, and traded in his apolitical stance.
His creative process took an introspective look at his African heritage. Kuti experimented with music that incorporated call-and-response-vocals and complex myriads of rhythms, all within hypnotic, extended song structures reminiscent of James Brown. It was here that Afrobeat was born, along with Fela Kuti’s talismanic position as a political activist and a staunch proponent of Pan-Africanism.
Unlike the light-hearted moralising of his musical contemporaries, Kuti used the momentum of Afrobeat to make social commentaries on the Nigerian government. Stripping back the music to its lyrical core, you find naked accusations towards an authoritarian government. Songs such as ‘Zombie’ parodied the mindless obedience of the Nigerian military and the blind loyalty expected of a postcolonial state.
To encapsulate the energy of such a man is a daunting feat. How do you put on an event that lives up to a legacy as prodigious as his? DJs Irfan Rainy and KISA rose to the challenge, working together to produce a set list that channelled Fela Kuti’s famous ethos of upbeat, rebellious energy.
Rainy, a seasoned DJ and lifelong resident of Manchester, has been running Rememba Fela for two decades. Speaking to the gravity of Kuti’s legacy, Rainy described the importance of focusing on the listenership.
“It’s all about gauging your audience. I’ve learned to get a feel for the room by looking out there, looking into their eyes and asking, ‘Are they up for it?’ Your audience is all subject to change though, and this really depends on where you go. Race, demographics, these are all things to consider when putting on an event like this. One thing I’ve been asking myself recently is how to make my music, Fela’s music, more accessible to different demographics. When I figure it out I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Mixing on vinyl, Rainy played tracks whose dance propulsion was irresistible. Switching between remixes of Fela Kuti’s staples and newer interpretations, Rainy and KISA’s attention to their song selection was meticulous.
At the heart of the tracks were the detectable notes of Kuti’s early jazz-highlife hybrid – a meld of traditional West African styles, Latin guitar, and elements of jazz. Suffused with electronic undercurrents, KISA and Rainy brought a refreshing element of modernity, seamlessly fusing the traditional with the avant-garde.
Thanks to artists like Irfan Rainy and KISA, Fela’s legacy lives on in our hearts and minds and, evidenced by the exultant crowd at Soup, on the dance floor too.
