Felabration is an annual festival dedicated to the promotion of Afrobeat and African culture and to the preservation of the legend and artistry of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. WRT brings you the harmony, the rhythm and the melody of this year’s event in brilliant pictures.

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Nights of music and images to honour the life and work of Fela Anikulapo Kuti – marking ten years since the passing of this musical and political giant.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, activist and political maverick, Fela was the pioneer of Afro-beat and hero to millions. His powerful and prophetic lyrics mocked the authorities, condemned police brutality and spoke up for the rights of ordinary people. This advocacy resulted in vilification, harassment and imprisonment by the Nigerian Government.

In the late 50s and early 60s, Fela gained notoriety as a singer with the highlife group Cool Cats. During this period Kuti developed his unique sound which he described as highlife-jazz. In 1968 Kuti announced the arrival of Afro-beat& and within the year embarked on a 10-month tour of the US where he was deeply influenced by American jazz. When he returned to Nigeria he opened the famous Shrine nightclub. His band Africa 70 (later called Egypt 80) traditionally included the typical huge line-up consisting of many singers and dancers, numerous saxophonists, trumpeteers, drummers, percussionists and many guitarists blending African rhythms and jazz horn lines with politicized song lyrics.