Is Fela’s music actually a weapon of the future? What does his legacy tell us about the real power of art and the artist?

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Thirty years after Fela’s death, Nigeria erupts — and Fela is again at the center of it.

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Fela told his followers that he could never die. So what happens when the unthinkable finally happens?

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After "Zombie," the military can no longer abide by Fela and his followers. A global celebration of Nigeria’s Pan-African ambitions turns into a brutal raid, torture and death, with thousands of people watching.

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In January, 1976, Fela drops his most fiery, confrontational song – “Zombie” is a blistering attack on the army, soldiers, and everyone who “just follows orders” to protect those in power. The song inspires ordinary Nigerians to stand up against tyranny wherever they see it — from traffic cops on the beat to the powerful general / head-of-state. And the response from the government — and its army — is almost immediate. Plus, an unreleased cover of “Zombie” from Santigold.

(00:06) Zombie

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As Fela’s campaign against the state begins to take form, three young lieutenants rise up to lead his political charge.

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According to some, the key to Afrobeat was its women. And one of the keys to understanding this “very complicated” man is how Fela both liberated and oppressed the women closest to him, depending on who you ask. 

Audio clip of Ayo Edebiri courtesy of Sundance Institute. Used by Permission.

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Fela was known almost as much for his hijinx as he was for his music. He took aim at the powers-that-be and, over and over, paid for it in blood. And yet, every provocation served as creative inspiration. 

Audio clip of Konkombe courtesy Harcourt Films Ltd.

Lijadu Sisters appear courtesy of Secretly Publishing and Numero Group.

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Origin story part 2. The “ideological genealogy” of Fela’s revolution actually extends back farther than 1969. Fela’s began twenty years earlier, when he was an 8 year old boy watching his mom make history.

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Fela’s club, The Shrine, was an oasis of freedom amidst a brutal dictatorship. Once inside – and on the dancefloor – the music intoxicated, enraptured and, ultimately, inspired resistance.

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