Ntama Journal of African Music and Popular Culture
Special Focus Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
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(1998) We have chosen as a major topic for this first issue Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the world famous Nigerian musician and singer, who died in August 1997. This issue is devoted to him and is designed to function as an extensive obituary, an homage to one of the most influential, critical and fearless personalities of the post-independence epoch. We are particulary indebted to Bayo Martins, the senior musician who participated in the burial ceremonies for Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and who, as the President of the Music Foundation of Nigeria Archives, had the event documented on videotape. A short take from the hours of footage will be published here. The M.A. student Markus Coester had a paper prepared for the seminar we conducted here in Mainz in 1996 on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. It has as a main theme selected lyrics of Felas work. In 1980 the article on Fela's record covers designed by Ghariokwu Lemi appeared. Who wants and has the technical means to may visualize the record covers in colour on full screen. At the same time short quotations from the corresponding music may be heard. A Fela-Alphabet is included to help decipher the Fela crypticisms. A bibliography is added. Far from being comprehensive, it is a selection of the material available here in Mainz.
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