(Born 21 September 1909, Nkroful, Ghana)
Influential
philosopher and theorist of an encompassing African World consciousness and
first president of contemporary Ghana
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
EXTRACT FROM FELA - PHENOMENON AND LEGACY AMAZON KINDLE BOOKS:
ReplyDeleteUNDERGROUND SYSTEM
In the cause of this narrative I have talked about Fela’s evolution from a colonially educated tea drinker, into a fiery anti-colonial advocate of an African personality. Also mentioned are his betrayals from trusted friends, legal representatives and associates. His disillusion with a people he sacrificed for with trials and tribulations as proof. Fela also used the betrayal of Thomas Sankara, to underline his personal let downs from trusted friends and associates as he sang: “since I dey young nah to trust people I understand! Since I dey grow-up to find people to trust hard! Meaning “while growing-up to trust is what I was educated with, but since my adulthood to find people to trust is difficult”. The song titled “Underground System” stressed that in his tributes to great African men Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana was the greatest of all. In the same breath, he had sung songs against African thieves Olusegun Obasanjo a former Nigerian President and M.K.O. Abiola, late Chairman ITT Middle East and Africa are the biggest thieves he sang against.Fela went on to explain that many young folks in Africa today, may not know about Kwame Nkrumah because of the diabolic conspiracy to keep Africans away from knowing the truth about who they should look-up to as role-models.For Fela, those who know or read about Nkrumah will agree that there are not many like him in the history of Africa. He was African personality personified.He worked throughout his adult life for black-pride and African unity. Unfortunately because of the Underground System in the lives of African leadership, whenever Africa finds a charismatic leader determined to change things on the continent other stooges passing as leaders will conspire to destroy such leader. Fela mentions how Nkrumah was destroyed by the Western powers who want to keep Africa latched to their colonial masters. He mentioned how Sekou Toure suffered the same faith, Ahmed Ben Bella,Patrice Lumumba, Modibo Keita, and Gamel Abdu Nasser. Even Mandela they
don’t want him to arrive as head of a free South Africa he sang.Africa must unite so that the works of leaders like Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah shall never go unfulfilled§