“Fela created a great platform for many Nigerian artists” – 9ice

The late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti gave Nigerian musicians a chance to prosper, according to legendary vocalist Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande, often known as 9ice.

The “Gongo Aso” singer claimed in a recent interview with Sis Project Studios that Fela, the creator of Afrobeats, introduced a genre that made things easier for many musicians who were trying new things and looking for a way to showcase their talents.

Afrobeats, he continued, had taught him a lot, and he was grateful to still be alive to follow in the footsteps of the greats.

9ice in his words;

“Fela Anikulapo-Kuti gave us the platform which is Afrobeat for us to climb on top. We were trying to do Afropop. We were trying to do afrobeats. We were trying to do different names. 

“I learned a lot from afrobeat. Our grandfathers are King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. And I’m delighted I’m here to imitate or continue what they’ve done.”

Burna Boy gives reasons why he is happy Fela didn’t exist in this generation

According to a report, the Grammy-winning Nigerian musician Damini Ogulu, also known by his stage name Burna Boy, thought it was a good thing that the late afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti did not live in the twenty-first century since most of the people who still hold him in high regard now would have denounced him and demanded his imprisonment.

He claimed that having lived at the time he did had given him the opportunity to disseminate the messages his songs contained.

This was said by Burna Boy in a recent New York interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, whose maternal grandpa, Benson Idonjie, functioned as Fela Kuti’s first manager.

In his words:

“If Fela were alive today, things he experienced during his lifetime might have felt very different.

For example, many Nigerians who are celebrating Fela today are the same people who would have called for his arrest if Twitter had existed at the time.

Because of how much is going on in this day and age, it might not be possible for him to have the space to explore that [his conscious creativity]. Spirituality is essentially nonexistent at now.

In this day and age, ignorance and stupidity characterize everything.

I’m thankful that Fela lived in his time so that we can experience the authentic, natural character of who he was, the essence of what he stood for, and the teachings he left for us.”