In response to the government corruption in Nigeria Fela
Kuti created the Kalakuta Republic, a sovereignty separate from Nigeria. After
being imprisoned in the Kalakuta prison for 11 months in 1974, Fela Kuti took
his experience and used the name of the prison for his new republic from which
his radio station was located. In the middle of the city of Lagos his republic
was similar to a traditional vllagae as his ideals were for Africans to go back
to their traditional ways after so much Western and European influence.
Soon, the Kalakuta republic became recognized and frustrated
the government as the soldiers stationed nearby felt that the republic had been
undermining their own governmental authority. On February 17, citizens of the
area fought with soldiers then looked to Fela to protect him, he stated that
the soldiers, unlike the police, did not have the right to arrest citizens. As
a result, the next day one thousand soldiers surrounded the Kalakuta republic
and fought with Fela, along with many of the members of the republic. Fela and
the Kalakuta republic were beaten into a state of unconsciousness.
Many of the members were abused and jailed, women were
raped, and Fela’s mother as murdered. The Kalakuta republic was burned by the
soldiers, and destroyed it along with Fela’s studio, instruments, and music.
Fela was imprisoned for a short period
of time and the Lagos State Government acquitted the military of any
responsibility for the destruction. To
quote the author of the article,
“Eventually, the Kalakuta republic became a
symbol of resistance and rebellion…Fela’s artistic statement in the Kalakuta
republic was to show Africans a different version of a modern Africa, where the
state of the individual within the greater community was more important than
the individual’s position within the state". The Kalakuta republic has sense been rebuilt and turned into a museum.
-Leslie Hoyos
No comments:
Post a Comment