The spirit of Fela Kuti haunts his old house -- themusician's colourful clothes in the bedroom, his shoes on a rack -- but themarijuana smoke, his many wives and his beguiling sax playing are long gone. Thursdaymarked 15 years since the death of Kuti, the Nigerian Afrobeat musician whobecame a global icon thanks to his unique sound, his wild lifestyle and hisharsh criticism of his country's corrupt military regimes.
He is far from forgotten, both here and in many placesabroad, and his family has been working to further preserve Kuti's legacy,including efforts to turn his last house into a museum -- the reason hisbedroom was left as is. "It's gone beyond a Nigerian story," his sonFemi Kuti, also a musician, said recently before taking the stage at thefamily's New Afrika Shrine club in Lagos. "It's gone beyond an Africanstory. It's like jazz."
Kuti's legend has in some ways only grown since his deathaged 58 in 1997 from an HIV-related illness, especially following a recentBroadway musical about his life that drew rave reviews. His outsizedpersonality and social activism made him a hero to many while he was stillalive, and his funeral in the giant economic capital of Lagos drew massivecrowds into the streets. The saxophone player was a harsh criticof Nigeria's corrupt elite, lashing out in songs like "Coffin forHead of State" or "International Thief Thief", but withirresistible grooves that combined jazz, traditionalmusic and othersounds.
His songs repeatedly landed him in trouble with the authorities,including arrests and the burning, allegedly by soldiers, of his compound,which he had christened the Kalakuta Republic and declared independent. Hisoriginal Shrine club where he regularly performed was shut after his death, buthis family later opened the New Afrika Shrine at another location.
He was also known for marrying 27 women on the same day,most of them his dancers, and his love of marijuana was well-documented. Tosome, echoes of his campaign for justice can still be heard in Lagos.
