Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery’s Fela: The Music Is the Weapon is a graphic biography of the visionary Nigerian Afrobeat bandleader, political troublemaker, and influential social rebel Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (1938–1997). Fagbamiye’s dynamic drawings and McCreery’s thoughtful script combine to document the life of a complex figure, capturing Fela’s childhood, youthful maturation, courage, and cultural impact, as well as his often extravagant personal flaws. The book also offers a lively history of the impact of the Black Power Movement and Black American popular music on the Nigerian political and popular culture of the period.
In this 10-page excerpt Fela and his partner J.K. Braiman seek out a location in Lagos to set up Africa Shrine, the performance space, community center, and commune that would later become a memorial to his life. Fela: The Music Is the Weapon by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery is out now from Amistad.
