Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti
Founder of the Global Entertainment Festival, aka Felabration, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, has said that there is no rift between her and Dede Mabiaku, one of the followers of Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Speaking ahead of this year’s Felabration, a festival of Fela’s ideals. Yeni said that there was no problem between Dede and her family.
She said, “I am not fighting Dede. When we meet we greet and we talk.”
When she founded the Global Entertainment Festival, her intention was simply to honour the memory of her late father and originator of Afrobeat, Fela. But six years on, the festival has not only served as a rallying point for performing artistes and music lovers across Nigeria and Africa, it has significantly helped to promote Afrobeat beyond the continent.
According to Yeni, the 2015 edition of the festival, themed Just Like That, is scheduled to hold between October 12 and 18, 2015. The festival actually began on Tuesday with a debate contest for secondary schools in Lagos State at the Freedom Park, Lagos Island. The topic of the debate was taken from a quote by late former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. It was titled, Poverty is not an accident.
For her, every moment of the annual event is special, from the Symposium or Fela Debates, which is scheduled to take place on Monday at NECA House, situated in the Central Business District in Alausa, Ikeja to musical performances. The topic of the 2015 Symposium is Human rights as my property. Interestingly a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, will moderate the event.
This year, the festival will also feature musical performances by the Third World Band, a popular reggae group from the United States; the London Afrobeat Collective, the New Afrobeat Band from Chile, with the possibility of Lauryn Hill’s return and several A-list artistes in the country.
Sandra Izsadore, the African-American lady believed to be instrumental to redirecting Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s music style from American-styled Jazz to Afrobeat, will speak at the symposium.
Other speakers include Prof. Chidi Odinkalu of the Nigeria Human Rights Commission; seasoned journalist, Kunle Ajibade and renowned Human rights activist, Mrs. Ayo Obe.
Explaining why the festival coincides with her father’s birthday, Yeni said, “He loved to celebrate his birthdays. They were sacred to him. In fact, before his death, he was already looking forward to celebrating his 60th birthday in a year’s time. But he never made it. He died at the age of 59.”
She says that she still thinks of her father deeply, especially at this time of the year. “He was a very loving and caring father. I miss him badly,” she says.
The New Afrika Shrine, official home of ‘Felabration’, is expected to come alive on Monday night as the first group of performers hit the stage.
While musical events continue from Monday as planned, it appears that the road show carnival previously to take place on the morning of Saturday, October 17, 2015, will no longer hold due to problems associated with logistics.
Copyright PUNCH
