#BBB NEWS| Fela: The Noise Of Advancing Ideas By Tochukwu Ezukanma

The first time I watched Fela perform was in the mid-1970s at the Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Then, he was lusty and nimble. He sprang across the stage, as he danced, sang and played both the piano and tenor saxophone.

Every move he made was mirrored in the sound of the music, as the drummer and the other percussionists followed his every move with their beat. His band members were decked out in pink “Crepelin” outfits. His dancers were scantily clad, and they seductively swirled and swayed their hips to the rhythmical throbbing of the Africa 70 (the name of Fela’s band in the 1970s).

Over all, his music was of unequalled excellence and his stage work, extraordinary. It was obvious that this maestro had taken music and entertainment in Nigeria to new heights.

The last time I watched him was in the early-1990s in Washington, DC, at the Kilimanjaro Night Club. By then, his years of struggle against the evil oligarchy that ran Nigeria had taken a toll on him. As such, he was not as gorgeously attired and his band was not as splendidly arrayed. But he remained his defiant and indefatigable self, his band, unflappably first-rate, his dancers, vivacious and matchless, and his music, exquisite.

#BBB NEWS| Jay Electronica Defends Kanye West In Nigeria: Speaks On Being Influenced By Fela And More [PHOTO/AUDIO]

In between prepping and rolling out new music for anxiously awaiting fans, Jay Electronica is making his press rounds. During a trip to Nigeria, the Roc Nation rapper sat down with The Morning Rush show hosts, Olisa and Maria, on The Beat 99 to speak on his new mission in Africa, music, influences and hot-button global personality, Kanye West.

Check out some of the most interesting excerpts:

On his mission in Nigeria:

“Like any black man in America, I was disconnected from myself and from my family and that’s why I’m here in Nigeria, to reconnect with my family. I’ve been disconnected for a long time, so more importantly than the music that’s the main reason why I’m here. The music is secondary.”

On being influenced by Fela:“

“I grew up with my Mom playing Fela. Of course like nowadays I’ve heard of the Don Jazzys, the Ice Prince, the Wizkids, but when Nigeria pops into my mind, the first thing that pops into my mind is Fela which is a beautiful thing to pop into anybody’s mind. Like I said, I’m back home. The music is secondary, but I’m here to connect. Primarily, or I would say, specifically on behalf of Roc Nation, bridge building. But generally just bridge building between the black people in America and back here. It could be Don Jazzy or it could just be a guy in the basement somewhere on the mainland. I’m willing to work with whoever’s available to work.”