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Performing ‘Fela: The Man and his Music’ at UNN’s Founder’s Day

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  • October 6, 2024
  • 4 min read
Performing ‘Fela: The Man and his Music’ at UNN’s Founder’s Day

By Maxim Uzoatu

FELA Kuti, a docu-drama, is a fact-driven story of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti that focuses on Fela’s defiant radical crusade against injustice in a brutal military era. On being invited as the official media observer of this Founder’s Day joint Theatre and Music Production by the associate professor, Dr. Greg Mbarjiorgu, Head of Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State, I prodded to know why the University of Nigeria, Nsukka decided to honour Fela Kuti on their Founder’s Day. The event will take place on October 8, 2024 at the New Arts Theatre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus, and will start at 6:00pm. My interaction with Mbajiorgu yielded these startling and stunning responses:

Mbajiorgu: “The founder of the University of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Fela Anikulakpo Kuti had salient positive values or merits in common. Both were brave pan-Africanists who fearlessly confronted forces of oppression at different eras. While Azikiwe did his via the media in the late 1950s before Nigeria’s independence, Fela’s political activism manifested in his post-independence songs that confronted oppressive military regimes and crusaded against social ills.

“We also see similarities in their idealistic and philosophical messages. Fela’s songs could be described as extremely radical and confrontational in ways that remind us of Malcom X while Azikiwe’s pre-colonial literary activism, mostly in news papers, exposed the evils of the colonial rulers in manners that remind us of Martin Luther King Jr.

“However, both were celebrated political activists and renowned innovators and pathfinders in their chosen fields. Fela remains forever in history books as the progenitor and leading advocate of Afro-beat musical sub-genre. Zik also will forever be celebrated not only as the first president of Nigeria, but also as one of the finest political figures of our continent.

“Azikwe and Fela are totally detribalized, heroic, legendary figures in every sense of the words. While Azikiwe’s nationalistic rhetorics were rooted in his early study of the works of Marcus Garvey, Fela’s baptism as a radical musician and a socio-political activist traces back to the historic encounter with his Afro-American lover and mentor Sandra Smith in 1969. Both Fela and Azikiwe had solid educational backgrounds. Fela studied Music at Trinity College London while the great Zik of Africa studied Political Science, Anthropology, Religion, etc in different universities in the United States of America, from Lincoln University to the University of Pennsylvania and others.

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Rehearsals for Fela: The man and his Music at UNN

“On this Founder’s Day docu-drama, UNN will showcase the best talents of her creative faculty in a joint performance of Music and Theatre Arts students, with music students playing the tunes of Fela live, while the Theatre and Film students will display their best dancers and actors in a performance that will x-ray the life and essence of the most innovative musical legends of the century.”

The play, directed by Favour Ogene and Ikechukwu Erojikwe, will feature Thankgod Ofor as Fela Kuti, with other key actors and actresses staring in it. The star instrumentalists from the Music Department performing in this production are Bright Ihejiekwu (saxophonist) Chibuike Chinweze (keyboardist), Joel Ugwu (trumpeter), Ebuka Kasiemobi (drummer), Chisom Idika (guitarist) Onyekwelu Chidubem (Ichaka), Abaneke Rapuruchukwu (drummer). The singers are Ikebido Sophia, Mbah Favour, Ezeudu Ifeanyi, with other lead performers on stage being Ofor Thankgod, (Fela), Emmanuel Christiana, (Funmilayo Kuti), Martins Richard (Igo Chico), Nwaeze Enuice, (Kikekelome) , Okeke Darlington (Tony Allen), C. Ifesorochi (Sewa), Samson Oladito (Tunde).

Other crew members will include Alaike Chioma (props), Mberekpe Emmanuella (light), Aneke Chimdindu (set), Ngwu Blessing (costume), Dr. Greg Mbajiorgu (executive director), Dr. Obiorah Ekwueme (technical director), Rev. Fr. Ben. Agbo (HOD) and Mr. Baba Daniel Danlami (music consultant), Ogu Genevieve (stage manager) and Mr. Chidomebi Igwe (production secretary).

Expected special guests of honour at the Founder’s Day special performance include the wife of the founder, Prof. Uche Azikiwe, the Chancellor of the university Prince Adeyeye Enita Adewusi (Ooni of Ife), the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, General Ike Nwachukwu and other external members of the university’s Governing Council. The Acting Vice Chancellor and chief host for the night is Prof. Polycap Emeka Chigbu; he will grace the occasion with the principal officers and other management staff of the university. Also expected are members of the University Alumni Association and members of the university community. The members of the Senate Ceremonials Committee, led by its Chairman, Prof. Chima B. Nwanguma, who has left no stone unturned to ensure that this production, turns out remarkable and historic, will also be present at the occasion.

* Uzoatu is a Nigerian journalist and poet

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