Felabration 2015 theme unveiled

The Felabration Festival, has for well over a decade, been at the forefront of celebrating the musical, philosophical and ideological legacy of the African music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. This years event promises to be another in the long-line of epoch-making editions of this event, with the unveiling of the Festival logo last week.

In keeping with the Festival tradition of adopting an annual theme, based on the lyrics of one of Fela's songs, this year's event shall themed "Just like that", from an eponymously named track releaed by Fela in 1990. Last years event was themed "Who no know go know", another of Fela's tracks, (derived from Nigerian patois, meaning that the ignorant shall soon be made aware). This alluding to the need for Africans to gain greater self-consciousness and pride and signalling a hope for the spread of the message of Pan-Africanism, to anyone who maybe ignorant of it.

The telling lines that explain this years theme, can be found towards the end of the lyric sheet of the song "Just like that" and they are "We in Africa we must start to think our own In our tradition where human beings and nature grow where Creativity and Understanding must to be right Now! Think Now! Fight Now! Suffer must to stop......Just Like That!". A simple message to Africa, to realign itself with its traditional values and attributes and using those, to act immediately to solve Africa's problems.

The line-up for this years event, which as usual will hold around Fela's birthday in October, has not been announced. However, the organisers, led by Fela's eldest daiughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, proved their mettle inthe face of incredible odds last year (in the form of the Ebola scare and general security issues. which appeared to discourage some International acts) to produce a hugely successful and historic 2014 edition of the event. There is no doubt that this years event will continue to break new grounds, in celebrating the legacy of one of Africa's finest musical heroes. As usual, Music in Africa will be hovering around the planning rooms of this event, to give you breaking news as it comes.