In August, we launched a fun series, “When Writers Talk Music,” where we collect what African writers have been saying about music. Previous posts featured Teju Cole’s thoughts on Fela and WizKid, Imbolo Mbue’s fondness for Soukous and Makossa, Petina Gappah’s cover of Bob Marley’s “Zimbabwe,” and Ainehi Edoro’s meeting with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. […]
Tag Archives: fela kuti
When Writers Talk Music: Vol. 1 | Teju Cole on Fela and WizKid, Imbolo Mbue on Soukous and Makossa
Enough of books, let’s talk music. Or let’s read writers talking music. So what happens when writers talk music? Here at Brittle Paper, we try to keep things fun, so we’re launching a weekly series where we collect comments by writers on music. This week, it’s Teju Cole and Imbolo Mbue. Do they love the […]
Yellow Fever | by Adaeze Ezewa | African Non-Fiction
Her feet catches my attention. The darkened patches on her ankles and toes are calling my name. She’s light skinned, that skin shade that comes from a container most likely prepared by a Yoruba Maami. Yes I said it, Yoruba Maami. Before you come for me with your tribal pride and swords, think of all […]
Film Adaptation of Uzodinma Iweala’s Beasts of No Nation Set for 2015 Release
Yet another African novel makes a bold entrance into Hollywood. Way back in 2013, Deadline announced that Cary Fukunaga, the director of the critically acclaimed HBO show, True Detective, was teaming up with Idris Elba to film Uzodinma Iweala’s war drama titled, Beasts of No Nation. Word has just come through that the project is done […]
Schwooming UFOs — A Fela Kuti Theory of Images
In the months leading up to his death, Fela Kuti did an interview with Keziah Jones. He said a lot of crazy things: Europe is technologically advanced because Mungo Park stole a pot containing secrets of technology from Ile Ife; the moon-landing is a hoax; UFOs fly past his window every night. He also said […]
Fela’s Magical Dictionary
“Yoruba is the Secret of Universal Witchcraft” — Fela Kuti In one of the last interviews before his death, Fela Kuti revealed that on January 25th, 1981 he was possessed by a spirit. This possession revealed many things to him, one of which was the secret meaning of words. A kind of linguistic magic—what I […]
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