Felabration is an

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual * Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

music festival conceived in 1998 by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti in memory and celebration of her father

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pi ...

, a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

musician and

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing camp ...

known for pioneering the

afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecti ...

genre of music. The one-week-long event which is held annually at the New Afrika Shrine in

Ikeja Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commerc ...

, attracts visitors from different countries and has thus been considered as an official tourist destination by the

Lagos State Government Lagos State Government is the government of Lagos State, concerned with the administration of the state ministries. The government consists of the executive, legislative and Judiciary. The government is headed by the Governor who is the policy-maker ...

. Felabration is held on the week of

's birthday. The event features musical performances from top music acts from Nigeria and

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

s from internationally acclaimed musicians and personalities. It also consists of street parades,

symposia ''Symposia'' is a genus of South American araneomorph spiders in the family Cybaeidae, and was first described by Eugène Simon in 1898. Species it contains six species in Venezuela and Colombia: *''Symposia bifurca'' Roth, 1967 – Venezuela ...

on social and topical issues, debates and photo

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

2015 edition: "Just Like That"

The week long festival took place from 12th - 18th october, 2015 at the famous Afrika shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State. That year's edition kicked off with a symposium titled " Human Rights As My Property" and the session was anchored by Honourable Sasore, former Attorney General of

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin ...

. There was also the annual Fela debates for secondary schools tagged " Poverty Is Not An Acccident". The festival had legendary performances from Star acts like

Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the Nor ...

: an international

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

group, 2face,

Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, Women's ri ...

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1984) better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, hip hop recording artist and actor. He rose to fame after releasing " Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed songs of all t ...

and a surprise performance by

Majek Fashek Majekodunmi Fasheke, popularly known as Majek Fashek (March 1963 – 1 June 2020) was a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His 1988 album ''Prisoner of Conscience'' included the single "Send Down the Rain", which won six PMAN Music Awards ...

2016 edition: "Everybody Say Yeah Yeah"

The week long festival held from 10–16 October 2016 at the Africa shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State. The theme was coined from one of the sayings of the legendary Fela which he used to entertain guest during his performances. The festival began with a symposium tagged "Movement Against Second Slavery" and was moderated by Prof. Sophie Oluwole. There was also the famous Fela debates, art exbition, street carnivals and other activities to thrill fans. There was performances from artistes like

Jaywon Oluwajuwonlo Iledare (born 6 June 1986), professionally known as Jaywon, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer, producer and actor (army of the thieves). Following his departure from Kennis Music, he founded the Next World Music record l ...

, Ajebutter, Orezi, Sugarboy and Ojjay Wright.

2017 edition: "The Prophecy"

The week long festival took place from 9–15 October 2017 at the Afrika shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State. The theme was coined out from one of the lyrics of Fela that says "i don sing am before, nothing new". The Festival had its normal school debates titled "African History; a curriculum necessity". The festival symposium was tagged " Whither the Pan African Dream - 20 years after Fela and 40 years after

FESTAC '77 Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in Dakar, 1966), was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977. The month-long event ce ...

? and it was moderated by Prof

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June ...

, a renowned Kenyan scholar. Other speakers at the festival includes Ben Bruce,

Donald Duke Donald Duke (born 30 September 1961 in Calabar) is a Nigerian politician. He was the Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and the 2019 Nigeria Presidential candidate for Social Democratic Party, SDP. Personal ...

. There was also performances from artiste to thrill fans, the usual street carnival and arts exhibition.

2018 edition: "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake"

The week long festival took place from 15th - 21st October, 2018 at the New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State. This editions theme was coined out of Felas legendary hit titled "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake". The song talks about the Legendary Fela's anger at the Nigerian government for allowing the society to decay, increase in injustice and those that are supposed to change things are leaving the country to decay. The celebration was also boosted by the visit of the French President

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017 French presidential election, 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, M ...

to the New Africa Shrine. As part of the celebration, there was performances from Famous Nigerian artiste like

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Davido, is an American-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His music blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop. Davido is widel ...

Mayorkun Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel (born 23 March 1994), known professionally as Mayorkun, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and pianist. He released a cover of Davido's "The Money" single and was discovered by the singer on Twitter. Mayorkun was signed to ...

and

Peruzzi The Peruzzi were bankers of Florence, among the leading families of the city in the 14th century, before the rise to prominence of the Medici. Their modest antecedents stretched back to the mid 11th century, according to the family's genealogist ...

to celebrate the life of the legendary Fela and also to celebrate afrobeat music which can be termed the heartbeat of the legendary Icon Fela Kuti. The major sponsor for this years celebration is the Legend extra stout from the Nigerian brewery company. Other activities that followed the week long event includes The Fela Debates, debates for secondary schools in Lagos state, photo exhibitions, Fela street carnival and other activities geared at celebrating afrobeat. One of the highlights of the event was the mild drama that ensured between Vice president

Yemi Osinbajo Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (born 8 March 1957) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, and politician who is the 14th and current Vice President of Nigeria since 2015. A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he previously served as Attorney Gen ...

and

2019 edition: "From Lagos With Love"

The week long festival took place from 14–20 October 2019 at the New Afrika Shrine, Lagos State. The theme was inspired by the popular Felas song titled "Eko Ile". The song talks about praises for Lagos state as a centre of love, joy and fun and urges everyone to visit Lagos state because Lagos state is home. The celebration had in attendance afrobeat sensation and BET 2019 Internation Act winner Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu popularly known as

Burna boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, ''L.I. ...

who thrilled the crowd with performance of some of his hit tracks like "ye", "On the Low" and "Another Story". Other artistes that graced the celebration includes Charly Boy,

Sauti Sol Sauti Sol is a Kenyan band formed in Nairobi, Kenya, by vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi in 2005. Initially an a cappella group, guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined before they named themselves Sauti Sol. Sauti Sol ...

, Labaja,

King Sunny Ade King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, Efe and a host of other afrobeat musicians. The celebration also had a symposium anchored by popular award winning black african poet and writer

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ( ; born 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described in ''The Times Literary Supplement'' as "the most prominent" of a "procession of criticall ...

Bobi Wine Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan politician, singer, and actor. He is a former Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda's Central Region. He also leads ...

; musician turned politician from

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...

, Professor Akin Oyebode, professor of jurisprudence and international law and famous celebrated Nigerian playwright and author

Sefi Atta Sefi Atta (born January 1964) is a Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer, playwright and screenwriter. Her books have been translated into many languages, radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC, and her stage plays have been perform ...

. As usual, the celebration had a secondary schools debate, Fela debates, art exhibitions and other side activities to keep fans entertained for the week long festival.

2020 virtual edition: "Fight to Finish, Fight to Win"

The festival took place from 15–17 October 2020. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

rocking the world at the time of the festival and the restriction on gatherings and activities, the organisers choose to hold the festival virtually. This was the first time the festival was held virtually. The Festival kicked started with a Felabration

symposium In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...

titled " Colomentality" which was anchored by a Ugandan journalist and broadcaster Vincent Magombe. Some of the speakers at the symposium includes Arikana Chihombori, former permanent representative to the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of member states of the African Union, 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling fo ...

Mission in Washinghton and Kweku

Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

, a filmmaker and producer from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

. Other activities in the festival included the "Dress Like Fela Challenge" where fans compete to imitate the dressing of the legendary Fela and the winner goes home with fifty thousand naira. There was also the secondary school debates, art festivals and other events that preceded the festival. There were also musical performances from

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afric ...

, 2baba,

Joeboy Joseph Akinwale (born 21 May 1997), known professionally as Joeboy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Mr Eazi of the record label emPawa Africa discovered him in 2017. His musical genres are Afro-pop and R&B. He was born in Lagos State, Niger ...

Falz Folarin Falana (born 27 October 1990), better known by his stage name Falz, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter and actor who began his career while in secondary school after forming a group called The School Boys with his friend before his profe ...

and a host of other

musicians A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who ...

References

{{coord missing, Nigeria Tourist attractions in Lagos Recurring events established in 1998 Annual events in Lagos Music festivals in Lagos Cultural depictions of Fela Kuti 1998 establishments in Nigeria