2018 Felabration week kicks off in Lagos

The 2018 Felabration week, in honor of the late music maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has kicked off in Lagos with a secondary school debate.

The debate titled, “Why State Police should be introduced to Nigeria”, which held at Freedom Park, Lagos, on Wednesday, is a prelude to the main event, Felabration 2018.

The 2018 edition of Felabration is tagged: “Baba @ 80: Overtaking Overtake”, a line coined from Fela’s 1990 hit titled “ODOO – Overtake Don Overtake Overtake.” It would also coincide with Fela’s post-humous 80th birthday which falls on October 15.

The event will formally hold from October 15 to 21 at the Afrika Shrine, Alausa, Lagos.

Yeni, Fela’s daughter, disclosed this on Wednesday while flagging off the 2018 Felabration week programmes.

“This year’s edition will be a great one as we will have international delegates from Asia, America, Australia and mingle. We won’t have foreign artistes like last year but we have musical bands from Togo, France and a lot of activities loaded within the week for everyone.

“Felabration serves as reminder to government and the general public for those messages of Fela to sanitise all sectors of the Nigerian society,” she said.

Ten schools participated in the debate and prizes were given for the first, second and third positions.

The winner, Rainbow College, Surulere, received an HP laptop.

Vivian Fowler College, which came second, got a Samsung Galaxy tab, while Opakodo Grammar School, Ikorodu which came third went home with a Techno tablet.

Felabration, which began 20 years ago, is an initiative of Yeni and Femi Kuti designed to celebrate their late father’s legacy.

The annual Felabration festival runs for a week and attracts guests from around the world.

Some of the events to look forward to over the course of the seven-day fanfare, include the Fela artwork competition, a symposium and a music concert, which attracted the likes of Asa, King Sunny Ade, Lucky Dube, Awilo Longomba, Lagbaja, 2baba and Wizkid in the past.