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  • Fela Anikulapo-Kuti   ( 11 Articles )
    (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.
    Bayo Martins agreed to have his text "Felaism", that introduces his publication "Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Abamieda - A World Press Tributes", reproduced 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.

     

  • Second Slavery   ( 4 Articles )

    The late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian composer, musician, singer, bandleader and above all political activist took up the term Second Slavery to emphasize the situation present day musicians in Africa - and I am sure not only in Africa - are in. In this second issue some of the contributions dealing with this topic. But we will continue to adress this problem in the future as well.

    Ntama will continue from now on as a web site administered on a continuous basis. The structural frame of numbers has only prevented us from coming out earlier with this issue long overdue. This will mean we will become more flexible, more up to date concerning events and reviews. We welcome reports on concerts, performances and exhibitions worldwide. We encourage to send in reviews on books as well as on records, cassettes, CDs and videos. At the same time we will continue to include papers by scholars on specific questions in the area of African and Diaspora music and popular culture.