With Uche Nnadozie
Beatification is Catholic Church’s holy ritual. It is founded on the idea that a dead person who is revered can indeed intercede by prayers on behalf of a living being. The prayer must be in the name of the dead because the dead is assumed to have merited heaven based on his or her work on earth. Beatification ceremony or ritual is a precursor to being named a saint. With Fela (as he was preferably known) began the process of becoming a Nigerian saint. Don’t get me wrong, he was not beatified in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, but in the doctrine of common sense. And his elevation thankfully is not localised. This is how it happens for great men, that years after his demise, accolades came from unexpected quarters.
In a month’s time on August 2, it will be 21 years since the music idol breathed his last. This means that the French President, Emmanuel Macron hadn’t been to Nigeria while Fela was alive.ย In fact may have been in high school at the time. Yet upon his posting to Nigeria six years after the man died, young Macron identified the music as one of his greatest memories while here on internship. Such that 15 years after he left Nigeria and now holding the high office of President of the Republic of France, Macron found his way around his itinerary for a generous tour of the shrine (now) managed by Femi Kuti, Fela’s equally legendary son and protรฉgรฉ.
The significance of Macron’s visit is not lost on me. The president showed how to make little things big; and how to make big things phenomenal. Fela and his son Femi are already big. But, as a result of the kind of music embedded, they (well, especially) Fela came in constant antagonism with the authorities. As a country, we have not found a way to manage citizen opposition. Maybe because democracy is still young here, otherwise, in spite of whatever may have been the message of Fela or his son, should not by any stretch of imagination dilute the iconic relevance of their message. Every society deserves critics.
But more importantly every society must honour their cultural icons. Culture is the easiest path to understanding our history and heritage.
It is therefore heartwarming that among persons and groups that attracted Macron’s patronage was Femi and the Positive Force band. Femi, who was not given much of a chance when he began to make music at the feet of his father, has shown what tenacity and creativity can bring. First, he ensured he built a new Afrika Shrine where Afro music was better celebrated. This new shrine offered comfort and space. It is located in a more appointed place which drew patrons from far and wide. This singular effort by Femi clearly marked him out as an omoluabi as the Yoruba will say. He was bent on preserving our culture and history by preserving the music that brought his father fame and fortune. The same brand of music was to earn him international recognition and a presidential visit (in years to come).
What Macron has done is to put pressure on our own institutions. I must admit that Lagos state government had taken the initiative to honour Fela. His former home at Gbemisola street, Ikeja has now been turned a museum. The place looks good. I think it should be integrated into the Federal Ministry of culture’s museums. Our leaders must learn how to honour our heroes too. Visits, comments, anecdotes, speeches and attendance of concerts go a long way in endorsing our culture.
This is the stuff that tourism is made of. As it stands now, French and other nationals will be curious to find out why Macron took a trip to the Shrine. France, it must be pointed out through their French Cultural Centre help promote Nigerian culture from January to December with all manner of activities. French Cultural Centre’s methodology by our various Culture ministries will help create another industry in our quest to diversify our economy and create new jobs.
I also challenge our popular musicians to begin to institutionalise their music by building enduring legacies. Most play to pre recorded tunes. They should imbibe live music and ensure that they do live gigs on a regular basis. This keeps their fans busy and creates a new crop of entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will feed these new centres with men and material in various fields. The same way some of our very popular but older generation musicians who created or promoted indigenous music such as high life, apala, fuji, juju, etc. there should be a museum or shrine for Oriental Brothers, Rex Lawson, Mamman Shatta, Bobby Benson, Osita Osadebey, Sunny Ade, etc. these should be spread across the country to inculcate undiluted environmental nuances of the areas. Food, dress, language, etc are important ingredients brewing a robust culture.
Going forward, the Ministry of Culture for the federation must go beyond photo opportunities and dinners to actual proliferation of cultural themes around the country to activate concerts, culture and tourism. Nigeria’s president must equally begin to find spaces between his schedule to endorse our cultural icons and cultural practices brought to life through music, dance, comedy, television, film, paintings, cinema, local fabric making, dress, etc. we can earn and we are earning foreign exchange through this. And we should not stop. That a prophet has no honour at home should be a forgone expression. Prophets must be celebrated every time, otherwise we find ourselves contending when a foreign dignitary comes again and head straight to the shrine.
We need to rev up our public relations.
