By Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka
Tonight, Fela performed!
Seun, Chip of the Old Block
I never knew I would see Fela
Perform again; after ten years.
Transforming transfiguration
The square shoulders tapering
Down to his narrow torso on
Compact seat. He returns.
It is Fela walking on stage
It¹s all Felatunde “Fela comes back”
Baba Afrobeat; Afro be it
Be it by the grab of the horn,
Or the flip wave of his hands
The bend, the twist, the lean
Or the swirl, all from the waist
The stomp of the feet, imperial
Or rhythmic taps to body sways
It is Fela jousting on stage
It¹s all Felatunde “Fela comes back”
Baba Afrobeat; Afro be it.
Deep throated melodies belted out
Sonorous from afar. It’s The Voice.
A sharp turn of the head in precise
Command t’wards the band, faithful
Stalwarts of his father¹s steadfasts.
Wondering respect at this phenomen
This apparition ‘yabbing’ on stage
It’s all memories – Fela’s rushing back
Afro Baba Afrobeat; Afro be it
It is all Felatun… is back? Indeed?
His tilt of the head, confident respect
The full set of teeth tightly packed.
Seun’s – his are white, even brilliantly
Set off by his dark brown full lips
Easily breaking into a smile, and a wink.
Away from the center, he joins the sax trio
Signals the acolyte to strut his blast, solo
Omo ‘yi Afrobeat; Afro be it
When he grabs his sax and blows full
Throated multi complex vibrating notes
Running through his slim, passionate
Young body committed to sensible ideology
Astute critical observer of his time, he
Lambasts those unconscionable
“Many Things” pillaging Mother Africa.
Nkan nla Afrobeat; Afro be it
Hey, yes Seun is his own man
He is just a chip off the old block.
Poem II
Afrobeat Lives.
It is a symbiotic relationship
There they assemble, strategical
A grey-eye here, a stoop over there
Gaps of missing teeth positioned
Left of centre of the balding head.
Rag-tag remnants of evolving times,
Hanging on as, and support props for
The Youth at the centre. Electrifying.
But watch them handle and make
The instruments perform scincilating
Soul-stirring sounds. Metamorphosis.
Listen deep. Afrobeat rhythms live on still
Playing is a serious business of memories.
Experience hands the baton to the novice
There is a playfulness too between
This novice and the band of veterans
You know they wiped his runny nose,
Tapped rhythms to his unsteady steps
Picked him up from among the drums
Held his hands steady on the sax to pump.
You know they nurtured him grow. Dynamic.
Afro rhythm beats on. Scintillating unstoppable
Who is Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka
Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka teaches at the University of Kansas, Lawrence in Theatre department, and of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Also a choreographer/dancer, she writes poetry and enjoys performing. She is the author of the seminal book, Yoruba Dance: The Semiotics of Movement and Body Attitude in a Nigerian Culture.