Celebrities at #Occupy Nigeria

Seun Kuti and fans 

It has been two years since the massive anti-subsidy removal demonstrations that held Nigeria to a standstill in January 2012. Looking back through my archives, I discovered these images with Nigerian celebrities - singers, musicians, actors, comedians and rappers - who stood with the masses against injustice and insensitivity of the Goodluck Jonathan government.

They spoke out at Ojota and used their image to draw people out to the streets in protest. Today many of them have forgotten. But some are still in the fight. This post is to remind everyone involved that there's still a lot to fight for.

Comedian Jedi and friends

Afrobeat singer Ade Bantu

Rapper Eedris Abdulkareem

Actor/director Kunle Afolayan with fans 

Actress Bombo Akintola

Waka queen Salawa Abeni addressing the crowd

Felabration 2011: Buy Africa

The Executives perform a dance sketch

It's Fela Kuti's birthday again and this year's theme of Felabration is "Buy Africa". A formal opening was done with speeches delivered by public intellectuals on Monday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. 

The New Afrika Shrine has been playing host to nightly performances by new acts and big name music stars since. The Executives Dance Club opened last night's performance with a sketch that featured a cameo role by a Fela look-alike. 

This year the duo of Femi and Seun Kuti, sons of Fela, will not be performing as they are on tour at the moment. Here are some images from Tuesday night at Felabration.

Two men have a go at the Ayo board game inside the New Afrika Shrine

Travel paper Waka-About carries Fela on its cover page

A patron lights up a joint at the New Afrika Shrine 

The crowd at the New Afrika Shrine for Felabration 2011

Fela lives!

This image of Seun Kuti with the tattoo FELA LIVES on his back (a reference to his father) appears in TELL Magazine's Lensview section this week. Made the image at his concert in Accra in February.

Seun Kuti in Accra

Son of FELA, Seun Kuti was in Accra last Tuesday as part of a 13-city tour of West Africa with his 14-man Egypt 80 Band. Nice music, as usual, political as ever and it was really nice to meet him in person. Humble dude, he opened his hotel room for me unannounced quite late when I went seeking for an interview.

He is presntly promoting his maiden album Many Things which came out last year. He performed his own songs as well as his father's big hits Army Arrangement, Suffering and Smiling, etc to the delight of the multicultural audience.

I first saw him perform in Lagos in 2005. His act has since matured.

"Afrobeat is not just another genre of music" he told me. "Afrobeat is a movement".

Personally, I think Afrobeat is like listening to Adams Oshiomhole's political speeches during his labour days on a dance floor. It is intense.