Nigeria Closes New Afrika Music Shrine That Speaks Out Against Corruption (VIDEO)

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By Marc Gabriel Amigone

What would you do if two nights before you planned to leave the country for several months to travel across North America and Europe, the government showed up at your front door and said you and everyone else who lives in your building has 24 hours to vacate the premises? What if your home was also your place of business in addition to a community center and shelter for dozens of downtrodden members of your community?

That was the dilemma facing Femi Anikulapo Kuti two weeks ago. Just nights before he was set to embark on an international tour across North America and Europe, the Nigerian government decreed The New Afrika Shrine, Femi's home base nightclub in Lagos, Nigeria, was to be closed permanently. The Shrine, however, is more than simply a music venue -- it is a sanctuary for the homeless and dispossessed, a community center meeting place and the headquarters for the Kutis' movement to better the lives of ordinary Nigerians by speaking out against corruption, encouraging empowerment, and distributing anti-aids literature and contraception.

The original Afrika Shrine was built in the seventies by Femi's father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Femi started playing with his father's band, Egypt 80, at the age of 16. It was at the original Afrika
Shrine that Femi started performing with his own band, Positive Force, on Sunday nights. Femi started developing his own sound, going in his own direction, and since then has released nine albums and toured the world several times.

Femi Kuti and Positive Force are one of the most powerfully revolutionary musical acts left on the planet. From the music itself -- wailing horns and voices sailing over the multi-layered
percussive elements accentuated by scratchy guitars and winding bass lines, all facilitated by an army of musicians and dancers that overtake any stage they touch, to their powerful message of African unity, accountability in government, and peace -- very few acts on the planet can compete.

So in a way, it's understandable why the Nigerian government wants the Shrine's doors permanently closed. According to Femi, it's due to the crowds that block the roads connecting to the club, "They said people were selling things outside, like sweets, and fried meats, biscuits, things like this on the streets, not in the shrine, on the streets, on the major road. So they are closing the shrine because we let people come and sell things there. How do they expect us to get rid of these people? Do we own the road? The road belongs to the federal government. How we can we go to the federal governments' property and 'say get out of here?' It's the government's problem to do that. They have to remove them not us."

The Nigerian government does have a history when it comes to harassing the Kuti family. Femi's father was arrested over 200 times in his life, and his dwelling place was attacked more than once by the Nigerian army. Femi is very different from his father in a lot of ways, but unfortunately, he cannot escape his family name and the pedigree with which it comes.

Femi asserts that the CIA was behind the most famous attack on his father's compound, a raid in which his house was set on fire, his family raped and beaten, and his mother thrown out of a second story window. "An american, I don't want to name names here, came to warn my father before the attack and warned him the CIA wanted him dead. He said it many times. He was warned that the CIA was going to kill him. I was there, I heard him say it many times. Any western government is always opposed to any Pan-African in government."

Like his father, Femi has always stood for the empowerment of Africans and against corruption. Femi was proud to see Barack Obama elected president but does not want him to give African governments any kind of pass because of his African roots, "I hope he won't be lenient in dealing with the corruption of African governments because he's a black man. I hope he doesn't fall for that. He has to be very objective, because all the African governments are corrupt. I think that is where he should be hard because he should want Africa to become a great continent. He has to be very hard on his policies, because he has to put an end to the corruption with his policies in Africa. He has to prove that the African government is not being proper democracy according to what we know it should be."

Femi Kuti and Positive Force are currently touring across North America. There is a petition to the Governor of Lagos and Nigeria's Minister of Justice circulating online for the re-opening of the Shrine. Please go to this website and add your name to the list because in the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

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Comments

[OmoEda]

It is interesting that Femi equates "selling things outside, like sweets, and fried meats, biscuits, things like this on the streets" with the Lagos State government’s claim that marijuana was being sold at the Shrine. And it appears that for him it is OK to have "crowds that block the roads connecting to the club".
The sheer lack of consideration for the comfort and safety of others (the kind that makes it OK for tanker drivers to park on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway causing a gridlock that lasts for hours on end) continues to amaze me, particularly the way those perpetrating the offense rationalise it away.
It is such western crap for the author to tie Femi to Fela's heroic activism. Femi is no activist. I am glad that he is getting the recognition and fame for his music. He plays an instrument, and he's not just a singer like many Nigerian musicians. That said, I don't think his "persecution" complex is justified. If your (Femi's) business is causing a public menace, the government has a duty to shut it down, until you can meet the conditions for operating within the boundaries of the law. No one has a right to harass others with noise, area boys, or parked cars blocking the drive-ways and businesses of others.
This kind of thing is just one more cause for frustration that I am glad that Mr. Fashola's government is ready to tackle! Femi needs to obey the law.

[Silvia Peters]

As for me, if he broke a law then let the law take effect..but if because people were caught outside the street selling...that is crazy. It's not in his power to get rid of them, the public officials should be responsible for that.
It's obvious the Lagos state gov. is making serious reforms, and i credit the adminstration for its good works, but shutting down this...there should be a judicial process, afterall its democracy!

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Fela is a hero! He spoke out against injustice and for that reason he was attacked. You can't marginalize a TRUE hero no matter how many lies are told against his name.

[Vernon Gudger]

The corruption in Africa did not start with the native African, so-called (Black African). The conquest and exploitation begun with the arrival of both Arabs and Europeans. When Africans rose up against colonialism by either the Arabs or Europeans, mainly Europeans, a void was left. It then became all most impossible to install governments for the people and not governments willing to exploit its own people to satisfy World Wide corporate greed. Nations from the around world, if they had the finances and military strength, partook in the raping of Africa contributed and in some case still contributing to the misery. What is the euphemism Westerns and Arab nations use to describe undeveloped Africa? Black Africa...

[Ajegunle]

NIGERIA IS EVERY BIT AS FREE AS THE USA!


IN THE USA YOU CAN GO TO THE GATE OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND SCREAM WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE US.

IN NIGERIA, YOU CAN ALSO GO TO THE GATE OF THE PRESIDENT'S MANSION AND SCREAM WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE US.

[VegasBabe]

Yeah well, no one believes that for a second and u shouting it won't change it.

[JohnDewey]

I think the all-caps distracted you from the punchline.

[pros54]

The saying in Nigeria goes this way "you have freedom of speech but not after". correct me if I am wrong.

[FebM]

Why would this be threatening to any "gov by the people, for the people and of the people?" Oh never mind, this is the big boys gov of Nigeria

[Hnorc]

Nigeria means corruption in Ibu.

[Intelligentia]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/share.html?s=news01n2560q8c9

[houskin]

Thank you for the video...and i am not surprised...you wont see this on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX NEWS

[Intelligentia]

Those entities have their own social, economic and political agenda. The African immigrant intellectual threat that is turning the idea of White supremancy upside-down in American classrooms must be dealt with. Once those Africans graduate with those degrees, they will have to compete for those positions that are reserved for Whites, right? Whites can no longer claim that the Black Africans are not being hired due to lack of qualifications. So, what better way to pre-empt their ability to compete in corporate America for those jobs than to paint them as criminals, using the Nigerians as the stereotypes. So, when you fill out that job application, it is tossed into the bin, because you are the criminal they do no want in their corporations. So, my brother, that is the reason why you will not see this video on FOX, CNN and MSNBC. It is called economic protectionism and social engineering. The problem is, a lot of our African immigrants, including those from Nigerians, are not paying attention. They want to paint us as criminals and keep perpetuating the same tired propaganda that Blacks (American Blacks) are not educated enough to be hired in important positions. Same game, different method.

[VegasBabe]

unfortunately the video wouldn't work for me. dang it

[tippydog11]

corrupted yes but not the only nation either.... hmmm?

[Adeyemo]

Femi Kuti is right about African governments. They are very corrupt and do not care about their people. It is a shame that a country like Nigeria with all her natural resources does not have anything to show for it. They are all crooks and the world knows it. The western world knows this.

Africa is such a tragedy and the world needs to do something about this. These corrupt leaders must be barred from hiding their ill gotten wealth in the western world.

Femi Kuti is doing o.k.

[houskin]

Before you blame everything on African leaders, you have to confront the source of corruption which is the multi national western industries in Africa.

Haliburton just admitted to stuffing funds abroad for African leaders in the recently discovered tax evasion schemes in Swiss banks. You will never hear about this stuff on corporate media. I am sure the companies can stand for human rights, and against corruption, but they wont. Shell just settled another case in NYC and thats the death of a human right activist...you wont hear about that on corporate media as well.

[Intelligentia]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/share.html?s=news01n2560q8c9

[houskin]

While i tend to agree with mostly some of the contentions made y Femi about the death and assasination of Fela Kuti, Femi has since become a laughing stock. Femi Kuti is neither a revolutionary nor an activist like his father. He seems to take pleasure in singing among gatherings of the same people that his father railed against. Hes just a son living in the shadow of his father and making money from it.

Fela Kuti sang against the govt, went to jail, fought for freedom and independent. Fela was not only a musician, Fela was fast becoming a god to so many people. Till today, his death remains a mystery even though its medically declared as HIV. Fela adored that shrine and i would support the movement to keep it open, but revolution is dead in Nigeria and i dont see a New FELA anytime soon.