Fela: the life & times of an African musical icon

736 Pages·2000·3.85 MB·English

by  Michael E. Veal

Fela : The Life & Times of an African
title:
Musical Icon
author: Veal, Michael E.
publisher: Temple University Press
isbn10 | asin: 1566397650
print isbn13: 9781566397650
ebook isbn13: 9780585366739
language: English
Fela,--1938- , Musicians--Nigeria--
subject Biography, Afrobeat--Nigeria--History and
criticism.
publication date: 2000
lcc: ML410.F2955V43 2000eb
ddc: 781.63/092
Fela,--1938- , Musicians--Nigeria--
Biography, Afrobeat--Nigeria--History and
subject:
criticism.
Page iii
Fela
The Life & Times of an African Musical Icon
Michael E. Veal
Page iv
Temple University Press, Philadelphia 19122
Copyright © 2000 by Temple University
All rights reserved
Published 2000
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the
American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Veal, Michael E., 1963
Fela: the life and times of an African musical icon / Michael E. Veal.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56639-764-2 (alk. paper) ISBN 1-56639-765-
0 (paper: alk. paper)
1. Fela, 1938[1997] 2. Musicians-Nigeria-Biography. 3. Afrobeat
History and criticism.
I. Title.
ML410.F2955 V43 2000
781.63'092dc21
[B] 99-051605
Page v
There are some artists who, given the nature of their energies and the tug of
their involvements, embody the tempers of an era. Their stories as enfants
terribles run both at tangents to and roughly parallel with the turbulences of a
miasmic generation. Because they grew up with the upheavals, affecting and
being strongly affected by them, their stories form a kind of commentary on a
period and provide a kind of understanding of its spirit. They personify
controversy of one sort or another and they are part of the popular
imagination in such a way that inspire tangles of legends.
BEN OKRI, ''Living Legend"
Artists are here to disturb the peace.
JAMES BALDWIN, Conversations with James Baldwin
Page vii
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 1
Introduction: ''Abami Eda"
2 21
Abeokuta (19381957)
3 39
"Gentleman" (19581970)
4 77
"African Message" (19701974)
5 121
"The Black President" (19741979)
6 167
"A Serious Cultural Episode" (19791992)
7 221
"Fear Not for Man" (19851997)
8 241
Conclusion: "Look and Laugh"
Appendix: Koola Lobitos, Nigeria 70, Afrika 70, and 261
Egypt 80 Personnel
Notes 263
Bibliography 283
Discography 295
Index 301
Page ix
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the following people without whom the
completion of this book would have been impossible: Fela Anikulapo-
Kuti for sharing his hospitality, his time, and the use of his alto
saxophone; Dr. Gage Averill, for his long-standing support and
encouragement; my parents, Henry and Yvonnecris Veal, for their
lifelong support and encouragement; my godmother, Eula Mae Tyson,
for her support and encouragement; and all the members of the Veal,
Coleman, Smith, and Tyson families for their love and support.
At Wesleyan University, where I completed the first draft of this book
as a master's thesis in ethnomusicology, I would like to thank Mark
Slobin and Robert Rosenthal, as well as other professors who offered
suggestions or helped in other ways: Indira Karamcheti, Peter Kilby,
Peter Mark, and Karen Smyers. I would especially like to thank Dr. Su
Zheng of the Music Department and Robert Lancefield of Davison Art
Center for the time they devoted to reading and discussing my work. I
would also like to thank Professor Abraham Adzenyah, Anthony
Braxton, Eric Charry, and Jay Hoggard for their support and
encouragement. The completion of this work was aided immeasurably
by the kindness of several Wesleyan staff members: Allison Insall,
Barbara Schukoske, and Beth Labriola of the Office of Graduate
Student Services, Hope Hancock of the Music Department, Diane
Kelly and Randy Wilson of Olin Library, Benjiman Jackson of
Academic Computing, and Kate Wolfe of the Interlibrary Loan Office.
I would like to give a shout to my friends who have shared or endured
my music obsession for decades: Marilyn Barnwell, Richard Ehrman,
Yomi Gbolagunte, Peter and Jennifer Hadley, Trevor Holder, Arthur
Jafa, Suzu and Shamballa Kawamoto, Tim ''Groove Maneuvers"
Kinley, Emily Laber, Steve Lantner, Mirjana Lausevic, Ingi-Mai
Loorand, Rachael Miller, Rebecca Miller, Julius Ndimbie, Jon Shub,
John Sims, Tony Sims, Ivan Smith, Preston Smith, Sharan Strange,
Greg Tate, and Santi White. I would also like to acknowledge
Olakunie Tejuoso and family, Wale Oki, and the staff of The Jazz
Hole and the Glendora Review. Finally, I would
Page x
like to thank Franya Berkman for her unconditional love, support, and
companionship during the arduous months of completing this
manuscript.
I would like to remember the following family members and friends
who passed away during the writing of this book, and whom I will
dearly miss: Mrs. Julia Coleman and Mr. Tony Coleman; Mr. Percell
Smith, Jr.; Mrs. Gladys Bolden and Mr. Earl Bolden, Sr.; Ms. Rosa
Veal; Mr. Raleigh B. Smith; Mrs. Mollie B. Smith; Mr. Calvin Brooks,
Sr.; Mrs. Reggie Ann White; Mrs. Roger Mae Evans; Mrs. Estella
Garrison; Dr. William M. Hewlett; Mr. Aurelius King; Mr. Alfred
Sims, Sr.; Mr. Edward Blackwell; and Mr. Michael Malone.
I would like to acknowledge my musical friends and colleagues in
New York City, Middletown, Boston, and elsewhere: Abraham
Adzenyah's New Talking Drums; Gbenga Awoleye; Afrophysics
Research; Aqua Ife; Idrissou Badarou; Chilly Mark Bader; Flip
Barnes; Black Rock Coalition; Charles Blass; Bula Matadi; Dub
Culture; Thomas Sayers Ellis; Los Afortunados; Tristra Newyear;
Pandemonium; Anthony ''Topi" Peterson; Mikke Ringquist; Felix
"Quinto Kidd" Sanabria; Elizabeth Sayre; Toby Sims; Gustavo Vaz Da
Costa; and Zabe I Babe.
I would like to thank the following people who graciously allowed
their photographs or other work to be used in this book: Adrian Boot,
Dr. John Collins, Toshiya Endo (http://biochem.chem.nagoya-
u.ac.jp/~endo/africa.html), Andrew Frankel, The Glendora Review,
Juliet Highet, Cheryl Johnson-Odim, Miki Kagami, Alan Leeds,
Sandra Isadore McLeish, Leni Sinclair, C. C. Smith, and the Estate of
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
I would like to acknowledge the fellowship support of Five Colleges,
Inc., and the Music Department of Mount Holyoke College (Kathryn
Ananda-Owens, Allen Bonde, Michelle Dempsey, Robert Eisenstein,