Before his death 21 years ago, music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti had an idea of what Africa music should be – an instrument of struggle and revolution.
The Afrobeat creator and human rights activist in an interview, several years during his struggle, said the whole idea about Africa must be represented in the music and in the art.
He further said music in Africa can not be for enjoyment but has to be for revolution because the people are used to struggle for people’s existence.
“So I think as Africa is concerned, music can not be for enjoyment, music has to be for revolution where you walk with the people, like the people and doing your duty as a citizen, play music and act, do something about it, if you feel bad about it, do something about it.”
The legendary musician also said, “If you are an English, music can be an instrument of enjoyment and you can sing about love or when you are going to bed next but in my own environment, my society is under development because of an alien system of government so there is no music for enjoyment, there is nothing like love so there is something that is struggle for people’s existence.
“So as an artist, politically, artistically, the whole idea about your environment must be represented in the music and in the art. So art is what is happening at the particular time of the peoples’ development or under development.”
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