By Aishat Lawal

Wherever Afrobeat is mentioned, one of the very first things that comes to mind is the suffusing image of the music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who lived for 58 years. He was a political activist, philosopher, musician, change agent, band leader and many more. Fela created a communal compound that served as his residence, housed a recording facility, and also provided a free medical centre. He named it Kalakuta Republic.

Interestingly, it seems, Fela’s initial encounter with Kalakuta Republic might have been during one of his incarcerations as political agitator. Kalakuta, which translates to “rascal” in Swahili and “black hole” in India, became more popular outside the confine of the prison walls, when Fela took to stage with it, making it more fashionable, and eventually naming it after his residence. After Kalakuta Republic was burnt down by ‘Unknown Soldiers’ in 1977 at Mushin, Fela, the philosopher quickly mustered the courage to build another Kalakuta Republic at Ikeja, a place that drew massive footfalls.

Credit: YouTube/Kalakuta Museum

Located at 7, Gbemisola Street, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, the Museum is an unmissable spot for avid lovers of art and Afrobeat. Surprisingly, the Museum is only opened during week days between the hours of 11am to 6pm. On its Instagram page, the Museum showcases its various activities and also allows guests to make inquiries. Notably, entry into the museum requires a fee of ₦2,000. The three-storey building Museum has a rooftop that makes a perfect fun place to relax. I was assigned a tour guide who took me round the premises that holds the legacy of Fela. During the tour, I was told that the building was Fela’s personal house where he lived until his death. I became excited and yearned for more gist.

Impressive discography

We started off with all of Fela’s album covers and the stories behind each, from Ikoyi blindness to Confusion, Fellow fever, Zombie and many more. This experience was way more relatable and fun if you are a Fela fan. My tour guide also serenaded me with lines from some of Fela’s music. Thereafter, we proceeded to the ground floor where there was a merchandise store, visibly displaying various Fela-branded items such as T-shirts, bags, and mugs, among others. I’ll most likely be going back to get one for myself because they look really nice. The walls, invitingly attractive, were all decorated with cute baby photos and adult photos of Fela and his entire family, including his close allies. These pictures hold great background into the lineage of Fela and I was very impressed by how the images have been preserved over the years.

My tour guide was very warm and took his time to ensure that I understand what each item stands for, including the history behind them. A section of the museum held pictures of Fela’s 27 wives who were referred to as the “Kalakuta Queens.” I later learnt that most of them married him for protection. Seeing the pictures of these beautiful women and their distinctive styles was an experience. There were other pictures of Fela and the people he associated with in his lifetime. The one that fascinated me the most was a portrait of his legendary pose.

Living the life of the Legend

The highlight of the tour was seeing Fela’s personal room. There was a glass partitioning, which only allows you to see the bedroom from the outside. The experience was indescribable, seeing the room and all his belongings, which have now become antiques, all left exactly the way they were in his lifetime. From his many shirts, saxophone, talking drum, to his books and several other personal items. I was so mesmerised by the ambiance. There was also a closet that holds the shoes, panties and fur coat that Fela owned, all properly arranged for a nice view.

Surprisingly, the Museum also has comfortable guest rooms that visitors can use while on site and this comes to me like a wonderful idea – sharing the same building with the legend. The Afrobeat pioneer was a man who upheld his cultural values and heritage and it was nice to see that the Museum took that into consideration by ensuring that this was visibly showcased.

The tour was indeed an eye opener for me as it revealed things that were hitherto unknown to me. The fact that he was arrested over 100 times was news, plus the fact that he had a biographical movie titled, Black president, which was destroyed when the soldiers’ raided his first Kalakuta Republic before anyone could view it. It was also news that Fela, who faced persecutions from some of his people for his open radicalism and ideology, especially following the change of his surname, Ransome Kuti to Anikulapo Kuti, once vied for the position of presidency under the platform of his political party, Movement of The People. But unfortunately, he was disqualified by the government. I also saw various newspaper headlines on Fela and press cuttings of his manifestoes during his campaign.

Time to breathe easy

Having had my fill of the interior, we matched towards the stairs that led to the rooftop bar where some people were already seated having fun.  The bar offers various types of drinks and local delicacies to consolidate your touring experience. Beyond the historical museum experience, the building is multipurpose and holds events that people can attend and have a good time. Just as we were walking in, I noticed a large portrait of Fela on the wall. It was such a great sight.

At the concluding part of the tour, we made a detour to the grave site of the legend and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of loss, having just experienced his unique ideologies through his music. When I asked my tour guide of the socio-economic impact of the museum, he stated that the museum was a tourist attraction for people home and abroad, adding that Fela’s fans, especially those who are influenced by his style and ideology, often visit the museum and purchase his branded merchandises, and sometimes, lodge in the guest rooms, while also having rooftop bar experience.

Recall that the historic Fela Anikulapo Museum was supported by the former Lagos State Governor and serving Federal Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who, in 2012, funded the reconstruction and conversion of the original building to a museum that now hosts various fans of Fela, home and abroad. Since then, Kalakuta has become a self-sustaining enterprise, and if sustained, has a viable tourist potential to attract more visitors who associate with the ideals of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or simply curious about one of the greatest people to have ever emerged from the African continent.

Aishat Lawal, a creative writer, is based in Lagos.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.