If Fela Was Here Today, Many Nigerians Would Ask Police To Arrest Him – Burna Boy [Video]

Grammy-winning Nigerian artist, Burna Boy has expressed his belief that the late afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti, would face criticism and calls for his arrest if he lived in the present generation.

Burna Boy, who is the grandson of Fela Kuti’s first manager, Benson Idonjie, shared his perspective during a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in New York.

He acknowledged that the current era has unique dynamics, stressing that Fela Kuti’s experiences during his time were different from what artists would encounter today.

The music star mentioned that many individuals who currently celebrate Fela Kuti might have taken a different stance if he were present today due to the prevailing attitudes.

Reflecting on the significance of the time in which Fela Kuti existed, the singer expressed gratitude for the circumstances of that era, as they allowed Fela Kuti to convey his profound messages through his music.

Burna Boy believes that Fela Kuti’s impact was possible because of the specific context of his time, allowing him to explore his conscious creativity, emphasizing that spirituality was more prominent in the past era.

He also suggested that in today’s society, there is a dominance of ignorance and stupidity that didn’t hold as much sway during Fela Kuti’s time.

Burna Boy expressed appreciation for the fact that Fela Kuti lived when he did, as it enabled people to experience the genuine essence of his beliefs, values, and the meaningful messages he conveyed through his music.

He said, “What I have realised is that the times are really funny. Fela in his time was going through things that, if he was here today, it might have been a whole different feeling like a whole bunch of people from Nigeria who you see today celebrating Fela, are the same people that would have been tagging the police to go and arrest Fela if there was Twitter then.

“So, at the end of the day, I feel like God doesn’t make mistakes. You know what I mean like the times are just perfect for everyone, you know.

“If he [Fela] was here today, like his career started now, he may not have the space to explore that [his conscious creativity] because there is too much in this day and age that it just doesn’t interlock with the spirits. Right now, spirituality is almost non-existent.

“Now, it [the society] is just mostly run by stupidity and ignorance. It was still the same back then [during Fela’s era] but it wasn’t as amplified or accessed [as it is today]. Now, everything is defined by stupidity and ignorance.

“I’m grateful for the fact that he [Fela] existed in his time so that we can get an experience of the true organic nature of what he was, the essence of what he stood for and the messages he passed across to us.”

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Burna Boy had declared that he is the best among his peers since Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and that no one paved the way for him.