Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series about Nigerian composer, singer, musician Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa".
Part III presents some comments from the discussion thread for this embedded video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" as well as from the discussion threads for Part 1 and Part 2 of other YouTube videos of that performance.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a YouTube video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa". Part I also provides information about Fela Kuti.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_24.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides lyrics to Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" that I found online as well as some meanings for some of the words to that song that I found online or conjecture from my reading. I also share what I think is the full meaning of this song.
I invite those who know Yoruba to share what these words mean and what this song means in its entirety.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Fela Kuti for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of these YouTube videos.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa - FULL HD (Berlin 1978)
Alain Guilloux, Aug 27, 2017
One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology"
****
SELECTED COMMENTS
Note: There are numerous comments in these discussion threads that provide much deserved accolades to Fela Kuti. However, for the most part, I chose to highlight some other comments from those discussion threads.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr8oRpA2SpE [This is the video that is embedded in this post.]
1. OLUG GBAL, 2019
"Im so happy i witnessed live over the years the many nights when Fela will close the show playing this tune....it was the choice song for the "boys"....to ba ti di owo dere!!!."
-snip-
Google translate from Yoruba to English*: "to ba ti di owo dere" = "if you can hold your hand"
-snip-
*Additions and corrections are welcome.
**
2. David Mku ugwuanyi, 2019
"Legendary Fela Kuti has foreseen Nigeria / African since years ago , awesome music"
**
3. feyi sayo, 2019
"41 years ago yet still very fresh and relevant"
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz2jXHKa7TY Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa" 1/2 (Berlin 1978), published by Henri de Saussure, November 20, 2010
Here's the summary to that YouTube video (Part I & Part II):
"One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology 2" "
Selected Comments:
1. s. skyturtle, 2012
"excellent quality sound and video. you can really hear and see in this some of the influence Fela had on Miles Davis in the early/mid 70's."
**
REPLY
2. ikaylah, 2013
"Lol,Na the other way round.Miles ,Coltrane had huge influence on Fela..."
Sebastian Correa, 2014
"whats wrong with the audience???"
**
REPLY
3. Raffael Scheiber, 2014
"they're german, that's how they always act..;)"
**
REPLY
4. Prinzessin19 WIH, 2019
"In Germany, when there's seating in a concert hall, it's generally considered impolite - to other showgoers, and even the performers - to stand up, unless giving standing ovations.
Had the same concert been held in an open space, you'd have seen dancing."
**
5. Nicolas BONNICI, 2016
"The same concert in Africa at the same time everybody dancing, in Europe, Germans be like ok they got the groove but i stay on my chair...
Maestro session, thanks for the share."
**
6. Kavansa Kay Enook, 2018
"So, is this where funk come from (I'm American). Totally, digging Fela Kuti!"
**
REPLY
7. SenatorOutis, 2018
"Ms Nah: can't tell if you are joking or not. BUT NO. The funk was invented by black Americans. Fela did not take up the funk until after he met and heard and met James Brown pushing the black power movement in the 60s. Make no mistake, funk is an afro-AMERICAN art form. That said, holy sweet beets did Fela take it to new heights. And in case you're interested, a decisive influence on Fela was a female Black Panther! Her name was Sandra Smith (https://www.discogs.com/artist/275554-Sandra-Akanke-Isidore). She appears on the Fela cut Upside Down, which is a straight burner from start to finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ZLUXPmjIc
**
REPLY
8. ayodeji sanumi, 2018
"Well said bro..though invented by James brown, lots of what the black in diaspora still enjoys till date that made them unique till date is what was taken from Africa to diaspora..Fela brought out the uniqueness through Africa percussion, both are gongs, drums can talk and come with meaning and interpretation..Kudos to my brothersin diaspora, black is unique, preach it let's leave the Babylon, Africa the centre of the universe.centre piece of world politics..where both human and natural resources lied.."
**
REPLY
9. naturallyme14, 2019
"NO!! Fela was very influenced by Black American artists, James Brown being the main one. And it was a Black American woman who inspired him to make the politically charged music that he's known for."
**
10. ERIN TOMS, 2019
"Omo 😱
I see Zanku Dance o.. Ye! (08:50)
"so those legwork moves no be today o"🤦🏾♂
-snip-
This is one of several comments about the dance move at 8:50/8:51/8:54 during this 1978 concert that are similar to "Zanku" ("Zanku" is a new (January 2019) Nigerian dance craze). Another commenter also pointed out "two men dancing Zanku at 5:42" in this video.
**
11. Divine Nduka, 2019
"Everything you said is happening in Nigeria till today"
**
12. Davidson Daini, 2019
"While so many great Black Africans have continuously and proudly represented the continent both at home and outside like Fela did as one of the largest African icons, the continent's various political representatives have continuously and largely been a major source of shame, stagnation, sufferings, destruction and the continuous holding open of Afrca's gates to foreign looters who're even looking for the continent's fall, while these same so-called leaders that I call imperial stooges share from the loots. Africa seems to have been cursed with too many greedy sons and daughters who've got no iota of patriotism or self-dignity in them, all because of their own greed. A very sad situation in deed, but I believe that the people will get fed up at some point and turn on them !"
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0RJTmbNf2Y
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa 2/2 (Berlin 1978), published by Henri de Saussure, November 20, 2010
1. Tony Dele, 2011
"A great African Pioneer, Been playing this track on my Ipod for the last two weeks
Fela was and still is the undisputed King of Afro Jazz And Afro Beat ."
**
2. 0004pedro, 2011
"This song was eventually released in The ''Underground System'' album in late 1992."
**
3. I&I Riddim, 2011
"Bless Fela.
For more info about Fela in Berlin (including Africa 70 band members) see:
afrofunkforum (dot) com"
-snip-
YouTube didn't allow hyperlinks then. Here's that link http://afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/
**
4. Danibrofan, 2011
"Another contender, again from Baba, for best tune- EVER!- to have eminated from the Motherland.
Do...do I hear AMENS??? R.I.P Baba. You are FOREVER with us.
@Henrids: Thank you sooooo much! Peace!"
**
5. Eric Odogwu, 2018
"Legend! Still feels like he is preaching right now,nothing has really changed in Africa #unite #let'sunite"
**
6. Godfrey Koko, 2018
"If only we could immortalize legends and keep their legacies forever in our minds. The genius of Fela lives on even in 2018. We as Nigerians need to archive this man’s songs and stories as essential history records. Simply amazing"
**
7. kookoococonut1, 2019
"Loving the repeated tension, build ups, and releases
**
8. Duncan wise, 2019
"Long live our father and the founder of the Afrobeat . in your grave you are still the king of the beat . Today Africa is uniting and your vision for it is being realised by this generation. it has take us a very long time though the time is near . your vision for us to be the clock of our own continent is being realised by many even from the Diaspora. long live the king of Afro beat"
**
9. ad stix, 2019
"The Nigerian Army brutalized him and burnt down his home a year after this concert!
The callous officers who authorized the heinous crimes are still in the corridors of political and economic power today in 2019!"
****
This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Pansa Pansa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pansa Pansa. Show all posts
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Nigerian Singer, Musician, Composer Fela Kuti - "Pansa Pansa" (lyrics)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about Nigerian composer, musician, singer Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa".
Part II provides lyrics to Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" that I found online as well as some meanings for some of the words to that song that I found online or conjecture from my reading. I also share what I think is the full meaning of this song.
I invite those who know Yoruba to share what these words mean and what this song means in its entirety.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a YouTube video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa". Part I also provides information about Fela Kuti.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_79.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III presents some comments from the discussion thread for this embedded video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" as well as from the discussion threads for Part 1 and Part 2 of other YouTube videos of that performance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Fela Kuti for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of these YouTube videos.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa - FULL HD (Berlin 1978)
Alain Guilloux, Aug 27, 2017
One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology"
****
LYRICS- PANSA PANSA
(Fela Kuti)
I go someplace
I see the place
I sing this
I sing Alagbon
eh Alagbon o *
Them vex, them pain dem say
I sing this song
I sing calacuta show ooo
Calacuta show
I sing zombie
I sing no bread
I sing monkey, Dey walk baboon Dey chop
I sing song
Before I jump like monkey give me banana
Yes sir
Before I jump like monkey
Yes sire
Give me banana
Yes sir
Them vex, them play them say I take their place
Before I sing go slow-o
Go slow
But me I swear,
But me I swear But me I swear as long as Africa Dey suffer
Africa no unite.
No freedom,
No happiness.
No belonging
Dem go hear pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Vex complain dey say I guard em face
Pansa pansa
Dem go hear pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
-snip-
https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Fela-Kuti/Pansa-Pansa
submitted by ajiboye anthonia
-snip-
*Hat tip to mobby909 for correcting this word. Read mobby909's comment in this post's discussion thread below.
****
MY GUESS ABOUT WHAT FELA KUTI'S SONG "PANSA PANSA" MEANS [Revised November 24, 2019]
I think that Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" is his description of how the police and others in power consider him. The song also gives his response to this.
He says they think he is a monkey, but they are baboons. They are upset because they think he is trying to take their place and want him to go slow. But Fela Kuti says that as long as Africa suffers, Africa won't be united. Also, as long as there is no freedom, no happiness, no belonging [in Africa], he will continue to agitate and call for the police and those in government to be removed [have their power removed [scattered].
Additions and corrections are welcome.
****
NOTES ABOUT WORDS OR PHRASES IN THIS SONG
Meaning of pansa, pansa:
From Alex Maxwell, 2018
"Npansa npansa means scatter scatter, that's what it means in IBO, if no justice no peace, and all Africa go npansa, npansa, who is experiencing now 2018 Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda ".
-snip-
This is a comment in the discussion thread for this YouTube video: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa
Pansa 1/2 (Berlin 1978); published by Henri de Saussure, Nov 20, 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz2jXHKa7TY
Ibo = Igbo
**
Alagbon
[Revised to this word July 26, 2020 as per comment from mobby909]
At 7:43 in this video, after singing the line "I sing Alagbon", Fela Kuti stops singing and says
"Alagbon" is the CIP police headquarters in Lagos."
**
Calacuta:
"I sing calacuta show ooo
Calacuta show"
Is "calacuta" a reference to "He [Fela Kuti] formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for the many people connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. According to Lindsay Barrett, the name "Kalakuta" derived from the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta dungeon in India."... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
**
"I sing zombie"
I think this is a reference to another Fela Kuti album and metaphor:
"In 1977, Fela and the Afrika '70 released the album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military"...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
**
vex= upset https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/beginners-guide-to-nigerian-pidgin-english/
**
chop - eat http://www.naijalingo.com/words/c/alphabet
**
o (ooo)
"The ‘oh’... is usually added to a lot of words and phrases, a kind of conversational tick to add emphasis.
From https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/15-nigerian-pidgin-english-phrases-you-need-to-know/ [for the phrase nawa oh" (wow!)], written by Hub writer Fareeda Abdulkareem
**
..."like most Nigerian exclamatory words, ‘O’ connotes more than one idea/reaction. It can be the answer to a call. It can be used in agreement. It can also be used to reiterate a point."...
From https://www.legit.ng/534689-why-nigerians-say-o-in-every-conversation.html "Why Nigerians Overuse 'O'" by Onyinye Muomahe, 2015
****
This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about Nigerian composer, musician, singer Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa".
Part II provides lyrics to Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" that I found online as well as some meanings for some of the words to that song that I found online or conjecture from my reading. I also share what I think is the full meaning of this song.
I invite those who know Yoruba to share what these words mean and what this song means in its entirety.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a YouTube video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa". Part I also provides information about Fela Kuti.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_79.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III presents some comments from the discussion thread for this embedded video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" as well as from the discussion threads for Part 1 and Part 2 of other YouTube videos of that performance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Fela Kuti for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of these YouTube videos.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa - FULL HD (Berlin 1978)
Alain Guilloux, Aug 27, 2017
One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology"
****
LYRICS- PANSA PANSA
(Fela Kuti)
I go someplace
I see the place
I sing this
I sing Alagbon
eh Alagbon o *
Them vex, them pain dem say
I sing this song
I sing calacuta show ooo
Calacuta show
I sing zombie
I sing no bread
I sing monkey, Dey walk baboon Dey chop
I sing song
Before I jump like monkey give me banana
Yes sir
Before I jump like monkey
Yes sire
Give me banana
Yes sir
Them vex, them play them say I take their place
Before I sing go slow-o
Go slow
But me I swear,
But me I swear But me I swear as long as Africa Dey suffer
Africa no unite.
No freedom,
No happiness.
No belonging
Dem go hear pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Vex complain dey say I guard em face
Pansa pansa
Dem go hear pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
Pansa pansa
-snip-
https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Fela-Kuti/Pansa-Pansa
submitted by ajiboye anthonia
-snip-
*Hat tip to mobby909 for correcting this word. Read mobby909's comment in this post's discussion thread below.
****
MY GUESS ABOUT WHAT FELA KUTI'S SONG "PANSA PANSA" MEANS [Revised November 24, 2019]
I think that Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" is his description of how the police and others in power consider him. The song also gives his response to this.
He says they think he is a monkey, but they are baboons. They are upset because they think he is trying to take their place and want him to go slow. But Fela Kuti says that as long as Africa suffers, Africa won't be united. Also, as long as there is no freedom, no happiness, no belonging [in Africa], he will continue to agitate and call for the police and those in government to be removed [have their power removed [scattered].
Additions and corrections are welcome.
****
NOTES ABOUT WORDS OR PHRASES IN THIS SONG
Meaning of pansa, pansa:
From Alex Maxwell, 2018
"Npansa npansa means scatter scatter, that's what it means in IBO, if no justice no peace, and all Africa go npansa, npansa, who is experiencing now 2018 Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda ".
-snip-
This is a comment in the discussion thread for this YouTube video: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa
Pansa 1/2 (Berlin 1978); published by Henri de Saussure, Nov 20, 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz2jXHKa7TY
Ibo = Igbo
**
Alagbon
[Revised to this word July 26, 2020 as per comment from mobby909]
At 7:43 in this video, after singing the line "I sing Alagbon", Fela Kuti stops singing and says
"Alagbon" is the CIP police headquarters in Lagos."
**
Calacuta:
"I sing calacuta show ooo
Calacuta show"
Is "calacuta" a reference to "He [Fela Kuti] formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for the many people connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. According to Lindsay Barrett, the name "Kalakuta" derived from the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta dungeon in India."... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
**
"I sing zombie"
I think this is a reference to another Fela Kuti album and metaphor:
"In 1977, Fela and the Afrika '70 released the album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military"...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
**
vex= upset https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/beginners-guide-to-nigerian-pidgin-english/
**
chop - eat http://www.naijalingo.com/words/c/alphabet
**
o (ooo)
"The ‘oh’... is usually added to a lot of words and phrases, a kind of conversational tick to add emphasis.
From https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/15-nigerian-pidgin-english-phrases-you-need-to-know/ [for the phrase nawa oh" (wow!)], written by Hub writer Fareeda Abdulkareem
**
..."like most Nigerian exclamatory words, ‘O’ connotes more than one idea/reaction. It can be the answer to a call. It can be used in agreement. It can also be used to reiterate a point."...
From https://www.legit.ng/534689-why-nigerians-say-o-in-every-conversation.html "Why Nigerians Overuse 'O'" by Onyinye Muomahe, 2015
****
This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Nigerian Composer, Singer, Musician Fela Kuti - "Pansa Pansa" (video, information)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series about Nigerian composer, singer, musician Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa".
Part I showcases a YouTube video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa". Part I also provides information about Fela Kuti.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_24.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides lyrics to Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" that I found online as well as some meanings for some of the words to that song that I found online or conjecture from my reading. I also share what I think is the full meaning of this song.
I invite those who know Yoruba to share what these words mean and what this song means in its entirety.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_79.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III presents some comments from the discussion thread for this embedded video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" as well as from the discussion threads for Part 1 and Part 2 of other YouTube videos of that performance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Fela Kuti for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of these YouTube videos.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa - FULL HD (Berlin 1978)
Alain Guilloux, Aug 27, 2017
One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology"
****
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT FELA KUTI
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
"Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also professionally known as Fela Kuti, or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre and human rights activist. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers".[1]
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti[2] on 15 October 1938 in Abeokuta, the modern-day capital of Ogun State[3] in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then a city in the British Colony of Nigeria,[4] into an upper-middle-class family. His mother, Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement; his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, an Anglican minister and school principal, was the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.[citation needed] His brothers Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, both medical doctors, are well known in Nigeria.[5] Fela is a first cousin to the Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.[6]
Fela attended Abeokuta Grammar School. Later he was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine, but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music, the trumpet being his preferred instrument.[5] While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife.[7] In 1960, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to the newly independent Federation of Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars.[8]
In 1967, Fela went to Ghana to think up a new musical direction.[9] That was when Kuti first called his music Afrobeat a combination of highlife, funk, jazz, salsa, Calypso and traditional Nigerian Yoruba music.[9] In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States where they spent 10 months in Los Angeles. While there, Fela discovered the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now Sandra Izsadore), a partisan of the Black Panther Party. The experience would heavily influence his music and political views.[10] He renamed the band Nigeria '70. Soon afterwards, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The '69 Los Angeles Sessions."...
1970s
[...]
After Fela and his band returned to Nigeria, the group was renamed The Afrika '70, as lyrical themes changed from love to social issues.[7] He formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for the many people connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. According to Lindsay Barrett, the name "Kalakuta" derived from the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta dungeon in India.[5] Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, first named the Afro-Spot and later the Afrika Shrine, where he both performed regularly and officiated at personalized Yoruba traditional ceremonies in honour of his nation's ancestral faith. He also changed his name to Anikulapo (meaning "He who carries death in his pouch", with the interpretation: "I will be the master of my own destiny and will decide when it is time for death to take me").[5][11] He stopped using the hyphenated surname "Ransome" because it was a slave name.
Fela's music was popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general.[12] In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. During 1972, Ginger Baker recorded Stratavarious with Fela appearing alongside Bobby Tench.[13] Around this time, Kuti became even more involved in the Yoruba religion.[14]
In 1977, Fela and the Afrika '70 released the album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother (whose house was located opposite the commune)[5] was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed had it not been for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the Dodan Barracks in Lagos, General Olusegun Obasanjo's residence, and to write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier", referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.[15]"...
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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series about Nigerian composer, singer, musician Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa".
Part I showcases a YouTube video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa". Part I also provides information about Fela Kuti.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_24.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides lyrics to Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" that I found online as well as some meanings for some of the words to that song that I found online or conjecture from my reading. I also share what I think is the full meaning of this song.
I invite those who know Yoruba to share what these words mean and what this song means in its entirety.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/nigerian-singer-musician-composer-fela_79.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III presents some comments from the discussion thread for this embedded video of Fela Kuti's song "Pansa Pansa" as well as from the discussion threads for Part 1 and Part 2 of other YouTube videos of that performance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Fela Kuti for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of these YouTube videos.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Pansa Pansa - FULL HD (Berlin 1978)
Alain Guilloux, Aug 27, 2017
One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.
DVD taken from "Fela Kuti Anthology"
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SOME INFORMATION ABOUT FELA KUTI
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti
"Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also professionally known as Fela Kuti, or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre and human rights activist. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers".[1]
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti[2] on 15 October 1938 in Abeokuta, the modern-day capital of Ogun State[3] in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then a city in the British Colony of Nigeria,[4] into an upper-middle-class family. His mother, Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement; his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, an Anglican minister and school principal, was the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.[citation needed] His brothers Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, both medical doctors, are well known in Nigeria.[5] Fela is a first cousin to the Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.[6]
Fela attended Abeokuta Grammar School. Later he was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine, but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music, the trumpet being his preferred instrument.[5] While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife.[7] In 1960, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to the newly independent Federation of Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars.[8]
In 1967, Fela went to Ghana to think up a new musical direction.[9] That was when Kuti first called his music Afrobeat a combination of highlife, funk, jazz, salsa, Calypso and traditional Nigerian Yoruba music.[9] In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States where they spent 10 months in Los Angeles. While there, Fela discovered the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now Sandra Izsadore), a partisan of the Black Panther Party. The experience would heavily influence his music and political views.[10] He renamed the band Nigeria '70. Soon afterwards, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The '69 Los Angeles Sessions."...
1970s
[...]
After Fela and his band returned to Nigeria, the group was renamed The Afrika '70, as lyrical themes changed from love to social issues.[7] He formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for the many people connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. According to Lindsay Barrett, the name "Kalakuta" derived from the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta dungeon in India.[5] Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, first named the Afro-Spot and later the Afrika Shrine, where he both performed regularly and officiated at personalized Yoruba traditional ceremonies in honour of his nation's ancestral faith. He also changed his name to Anikulapo (meaning "He who carries death in his pouch", with the interpretation: "I will be the master of my own destiny and will decide when it is time for death to take me").[5][11] He stopped using the hyphenated surname "Ransome" because it was a slave name.
Fela's music was popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general.[12] In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. During 1972, Ginger Baker recorded Stratavarious with Fela appearing alongside Bobby Tench.[13] Around this time, Kuti became even more involved in the Yoruba religion.[14]
In 1977, Fela and the Afrika '70 released the album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother (whose house was located opposite the commune)[5] was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed had it not been for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the Dodan Barracks in Lagos, General Olusegun Obasanjo's residence, and to write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier", referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.[15]"...
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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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