The exhibition has been structured into ten sections to mirror Fela’s restless experimentation and complexity. It opens with an immersive large-scale commissioned work by Nigerian-Italian illustrator and textile designer, Diana Ejaita, whose visual language captures both Fela’s undying spirit and overall direction for the exhibition – deeply engaging. From there, we move through Fela’s early years, where it was important to trace both his musical influences and family background. For the Family Tree illustration, Musa Ganiyy highlights 22 prominent members of the Kuti family, some whose individual defiance and excellence would have shaped Fela himself.

The Curator, Seun, with the Lagos Governor’s Special Assistant on Tourism Art and Culture, Idris Aregbe, and the French Foreign Affairs Minister at the Special Preview on Sunday, Oct 12

Curating this exhibition has been another chapter of Continuing Fela Studies because not even a lifetime is enough time to analyse the life, music and activism of The Black President. I am grateful to teams at the French Embassy in Nigeria, Philharmonie de Paris (Musee de la Musique), Ecobank Nigeria, A Whitespace Creative Arts Foundation (AWCA), Felabration and the Kuti family for their trust and support

FELA Anikulapo-Kuti continues to stand as one of the most complex and compelling artists of our time — a musician, thinker, organiser, foremost agitator and remarkable icon of rebellion. Fela bridged worlds through his music in his lifetime, in ours and certainly in the years to come.

Afrobeat Rebellion, now a travelling project seeks to explore the full depth of Fela’s artistic creativity and political activism, underscoring the power of Afrobeat as a vehicle for ideas and melodic force on the dance floor. His discipline of imagination and remarkable storytelling capabilities was forged through dialogue with underprivileged people and a deep curiosity about the happenings in his era. And as most of this took place from Fela’s Lagos, it’s only fitting that this larger iteration comes back home.

The exhibition has been structured into ten sections to mirror Fela’s restless experimentation and complexity. It opens with an immersive large-scale commissioned work by Nigerian-Italian illustrator and textile designer, Diana Ejaita, whose visual language captures both Fela’s undying spirit and overall direction for the exhibition – deeply engaging. From there, we move through Fela’s early years, where it was important to trace both his musical influences and family background. For the Family Tree illustration, Musa Ganiyy highlights 22 prominent members of the Kuti family, some whose individual defiance and excellence would have shaped Fela himself.

The Lagos Baby section captures the city’s pulse through sound, large format projections and replication of everyday objects like the wheelbarrow to deepen the stories about the rhythms of Lagos life. Visitors will then step into the Kalakuta Republic and the Afrika Shrine sections to illuminate how these spaces served as open platforms during Fela’s lifetime.

By mapping previous Shrine locations, we get a sense how politics and spiritual conviction met in full view of the people – whether they rarely visited or “worshipped” there. A section dedicated to the Queens was expanded to include archival material celebrating the women who stood by Fela, not just as companions but as co-travellers in his political struggle. Images made by contemporary photographers such as Medina Dugger, Djibril Frame, Manny Jefferson and Ugochukwu Emebiriodo trace the Queens enduring influence on new generations as

it relates to identity through hairstyles and costumes. The Library showcases how Fela’s knowledge of history and political consciousness were deepened by various figures he encountered and his wide reading. In what appears to be a Fela Renaissance, the later sections draw connections to his global resonance, and finally, his enduring legacy — in music, politics, fashion, and youth culture today. It is my vision that the exhibition is a medium for audiences to remember Fela, question his beliefs, and even imagine better human experiences. An opportunity to bring the world to Fela.

Everything is political, but art truly has the power to reimagine our world.

Curating this exhibition has been another chapter of Continuing Fela Studies because not even a lifetime is enough time to analyse the life, music and activism of The Black President. I am grateful to teams at the French Embassy in Nigeria, Philharmonie de Paris (Musee de la Musique), Ecobank Nigeria, A Whitespace Creative Arts Foundation (AWCA), Felabration and the Kuti family for their trust and support.

Special gratitude to the artists, individuals and institutions who created, licensed and loaned us materials for this exhibition – Adegoke Odukoya, Andrew Esiebo, Dr. Oludamola Adebowale, Bernard Matussière, Centre for Black and African Arts & Civilisation (CBAAC), Diana Ejaita, Djibril Drame, Estate of Biyi Bandele, Folu Oyefeso, Guild of Theatre Arts Drummers, Isioma Williams, Jean-Jacques Mandel, Kalakuta Museum, Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, Lemi Ghariokwu, Logor Oluwamuyiwa, Mabinuori Kayode Idowu (ID), Manny Jefferson, Medina Dugger, Musa Ganiyy, Musée de la Musique, National Library of Nigeria, Lagos, Patrice van Eersel, The Young Art Crafts Foundation, Ugochukwu Emebiriodo.

To my core team at June Creative Art Advisory (JCAA) — Simsi, Toyosi, and Rita — thank you for staying curious and committed to this project. Together, we hope that the Lagos iteration of Afrobeat Rebellion truly resonates not just as a retrospective but also a portal into many more conversations about our African history and identity.

I also appreciate my colleagues at JCAA. Their input was pivotal – Simsi Kaempf (consultant), who worked on content development as well as Toyosi Taoreed and Rita Sagbamiye, who were my curatorial assistants.

Everything is political, but art truly has the power to reimagine our world.

Thank you very much!