FELASOPHY

Way bark in the late 70s into the 1980s I was opportune to live in the same neighborhood with the ABAMI EDA him self FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI I use to live at No.12 Kodesor Street off Olayeni where you have the then Africa Shrine at Pepul Street.

I remember this particular night February 13^th 1976 that was the day the then Nigerian Head of State, Gen Muritala Ramat Muhammad (R I P) was assassinated the morning of that day, a dusk to dawn curfew was imposed trough out the country and road blocks where mounted at different junctions along the Lagos metropolis by the military, there was also a road block on Kodeso Street that night, mounted in front of Texaco Petrol Station, opposite that Petrol Station is the junction that Leeds to the Africa Shrine, at about 9: 30 pm I was at the balcony relaxing all of a sodden the soldiers at the road block shouting if you be FELA n ko! you no know say curfew day for town, come down!

There was this car a Volvo station wagon Wight with the a sticker EGIPT 80 FELA,s picture inscribe on the car door inside the number 0, I did not see who is inside the car but for sure the car belongs to Baba 70 and I herd the soldiers shouting if you be FELA’ n ko.

The most interesting part of the story is that FELA immediately drove the car moving on the revise gear, from that spot and disappeared into Oba Akran Avenew, the soldiers fire some waning short into the air, my brother! FELA did not stop the car, wow he is really the ABAMI EDA.

A visit to that area now, what you see is the Computer Village. My parent later moved to Oluwalemu Steet off Atinuke Olabanji Street; yes that is where you have the Calacuta Republic opposite FELA’s resident. FELA moved into a building on that street after his house was burnt by unknown soldiers. I was opportune to see FELA live rehashed Best of No Nation, You Be Tiff etc. FELA sometimes play his special saxophone outside his house, lots of memory you know! I wasn’t around when he moved to his permanent resident at Gbemisola Street.

If you are residing at Ikeja in the 1980’s you will be familiar with the public water supply located along the road to Wema board Estate, not too far from the T-junction that leads to Adeniyi Jonce Avenew, that is the only place where you can get water in the whole of Ikeja , and all the kids in the neighborhood use to go to that spot to get water, it use to be a tog of war to get water, some times it is survival of the fittest before you can get a bucket of water . But FELA did something that amazed me, right in front of the Calacuta Republic there is this broken pipe splitting water into the main road and later got boost, for several days and weeks, the authorities did not show up to fix the broken pipe and this as been the case in several pleases around town. Well what did FELA do? FELA ordered that the broken pipe be fixed and turn into public usage, come and see how the kids in the area where now trooping to Calacuta to get water (Fela ti se omi si iwaju ile e) and the tap never stop running for a very long time. Fela was a very strong person I remember this particular day it was in the afternoon, I was coming back from school

I pensive the odor of tear gas while I was about to enter Atinuke Olabanji Street, you don’t need to tell me what is going on, because I already know what is happening, the unknown soldiers has come to pick FELA again, you need to see how he was bitten ha! FELA's life was cut short by the various encounters he had with the unknown soldiers.

I love FELA’s way of life, his sence of resoning to me he is an enigma, a prophet and somebody who lives in the heart of so many people across the world, he made me to believe in the word freedom as in I am so free, clean and pure in my heart. He is a leader Nigeria never hard. Thai is my FELASOPHY.