Current Nigerian Artistes Can’t Match Fela’s Legacy – Ksolo

Popular music producer Ksolo has said that many contemporary Nigerian artistes cannot match the impact of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. He recently had his say during an interview with Saturday Beats, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, because Fela‘s music was more about liberation and social justice than entertainment, a singer like him can only appear once every 50 years.

Ksolo added that it is difficult for a listener to enjoy an artist’s song when he or she is feeling oppressed or maligned.

His words, “I don’t think a figure like Fela appears in every generation. You can be yourself. Fela was a completely different being. I feel like every 50 years or so, someone like Fela emerges. Sometimes, his kind doesn’t appear again.

Someone like Martin Luther King has not had a replacement. The words he spoke are still being quoted today, and many quotes have been derived from them.

I don’t think it’s necessary for every generation to have a Fela. Fela wasn’t just a musician, he was a fighter.

He believed that everyone who listened to his music should not be oppressed. How can you enjoy an artiste’s song while your own family is being oppressed or detained? He felt the need to fight for his people; that those who listened to his music needed to be liberated.

That is the opposite today. Most artistes fight only for their pockets. A Wizkid, for instance, could look inward and say, ‘I have a billion naira to give. I can partner with financial institutions so everyone in my fan club can collect a million naira.’ Once you have a tangible business, you can give back to those who support you. Those are the ways to make a difference.

It’s sad that if you ask a fan of a Nigerian pop star how this person has changed their life, they cannot give an answer. It’s disrespectful to compare this generation to Fela. What Fela accomplished, many of today’s artistes simply cannot do.”

WOW.