The Abami's Afterlife
Fela Kuti - political activist, musical innovator, symbol of hope for Nigeria, and founder of Afrobeat -- was born into controversy. And though he died in 1997, his music lives on.
The Abami (meaning “strange one” in Yoruba) had awoken from his slumber. Kaleta’s long, anxious wait for Fela Kuti, the creator of Afrobeat, was finally over. As he passed through the beaded curtain leading to Fela’s bedroom, a thick, almost impenetrable fog of marijuana smoke engulfed Kaleta. He had arrived at Fela’s compound late in the morning, but had had to wait many hours for his audition, which finally took place in the early hours of the next day. Several naked women lounged as Fela, also naked, interrogated Kaleta about his background.
Kaleta had grown up in the Church,...
