As Femi and Seun Kuti perform  on stage

by Benjamin Njoku

AFROBEAT legend, Fela  Anikulapo-Kuti’s costume will take a fitting place among other world music greats on the renowned Hardrock Cafe Music Memorabilia Collection.

The famous singer’s children, Yeni, Femi and Seun Kuti will hand over costumes worn by Fela, including pieces of clothing and shoes to representatives of Hard Rock International in Lagos.

femi and seun

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Fela’s death, a two-part ceremony is slated for Thursday, May 25 at Hardrock Café Lagos. It begins by 3.00pm with an induction ceremony to be witnessed late Fela’s friends, entertainment bigwigs and cream of the society. The ceremony will climax by 7.00 pm when Femi Kuti with his Positive Force band and Seun Kuti with his Egypt 80 band hit the stage for a pulsating power-packed night of Afrobeat music.

Meanwhile, one major highlights of the induction will be the release of a new song dedicated to the late Afrobeat maestro by two-time Grammy Award-winning artiste, Lekan Babalola.

Afrobeat maestro

The song entitled ‘Mr. Lakaye’ (Tribute to Ogun) is produced by Will Angelero (New York – UK based Producer) and co-produced by Lekan Babalola. In addition, sensational artist, Fola David will do a live speed-painting of Fela on stage.

Also to be donated are original evergreen album covers whose designer, veteran artist, Lemi Gharioku will also be in attendance. Lemi is known for listening to and digesting Fela’s music, then expressing his reaction in Fela’s album cover design. Lemi has designed 26 Fela album covers.

The Hard Rock Café induction is being put together by foremost talent agency, Temple Management Company (TMC) after brokering a similar donation last year by juju maestro King Sunny Ade (KSA) as well as staging the much-talked about Sunny On Sunday concert.

Fela’s historic music journey began in 1958 when his parents sent him to London to study Medicine but he cleverly opted for Trinity College School of Music. Fela formed his first band Koola Lobitos in 1961 providing the fodder for a movement that morphed into Afrobeat, a combination of elements of traditional High Life, Rock, Funk and Jazz.