By Charles Okogene
I may not remember precisely how and when my path and that of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the best talent to come out of Nigeria musically, crossed.
All I know, however, is that there was never a dull moment either in his Africa Shrine or his Gbemisola, Ikeja residence. Whether he was in his expansive living room then sitting on his foamy sofa that no soul dares sat on even in his absence, there was always a show there; the house known as Kalakuta Republic was a threatre of fun, especially from his queens. Whether he was in his bedroom having his ‘bend, bend’ sleep or in the parlour, a familiar reporter with eyes and nose for news was sure of a frontpage story even if it was just a 30 minutes visit to the republic.
Kalakuta was a place some of us go to when the town was dry of entertainment story, one was sure to hit the frontpage if the story was well packaged, this was how we rolled with Fela.
An unforgettable experience I had with him was at a press conference he held in his house to explain to Nigerians and his fans, his own side of the story as to why he failed to perform at Okpuzu Onwuka Kalu’s Children of Africa Concert (CoA) after he was paid what some of his aides said was a quartre of a million. The story had leaked even before the concert held at the mainbowl of the National Stadium Surulere, that Fela, who was one of the biggest acts listed to perform, will not show up and true to the story, he shunned the show as reported. When the story of his non appearance was becoming an issue, he decided to state his side of the story. He invited the media and it was at the briefing that he openly gave me the ‘spirit prick’ nickname during the question and answer time. And if you know how, come with me.
I had signified my intention to ask question and was recognised to do so. I introduced my name as Charles Okogene and the paper I wrote for then. As soon as he heard the name, he sat up, took a long drag on his jumbo Nigerian Natural Grass (NNG) and said, “what do you say is your name again.? Innocently I repeated myself not knowing what he had in mind. He then paused for a minute and said.
“Hmmmnmnm! What a name.”
” You must be from Delta.”
I nodded my head in agreement .
He then continued by saying ”okooo genee. Here in Yoruba land, oko is ‘prick’ while ‘ogene’ is spirit, so your name bi ‘spirit prick’ and the audience roared in prolonged laughter and I never get to ask my questions again. This was after he had, in his opening remarks, described himself as ‘the most suffering African child who ought to be paid higher than the likes of Shabba Ranks, who was paid more than him for the Concert.
Another day he cracked us up, this time during one of those his birthday celebrations in his house on October 15th, was when he renamed Thomas Peretu, who was a reporter on the stable of Lagos Weekend now with Presidential Amnesity Office; Peretu had in the course of introduction announced his presence and immediately Fela responded ‘ na Petrol be that.” And he went on to tell us to that it is not Peretu but petrol; “you are from the area (Olibiri) where petrol was first discovered in commercial quantity in Nigeria, so your name ought to be petrol,” he continued.
To say that if Fela had not taken to music that he would have done well as a comedian is an understatement. He always find a humour angle to every situation like turning professor to ‘poro ko fe so’ technology to ‘te ki ino lo gi’ among others.
It was Fela who also told Segun Banjo of the defunct Fame Weekly and I, in an interview shortly after he was released from Kirikiri Prison where was remanded in protective custody on account of the charges brought against him by the NDLEA of Bamiyi days, that his case was bigger than briefcase now but a s luagge.
We can go on and on talking about Fela who Dede Mabiaku used to call ‘ the great one.’
