How Fela's Kalakuta Republic Got Its Name - Part 2

As told by Egypt 80 baritone saxophonist Rilwan "Showboy" Fagbemi - continued from yesterday's post.

Showboy: Finally they arrested everybody, but Fela was mercilessly beaten, broken head, he had about 17 stitches on his head - gun butt - they broke his hand, they broke his leg, dislocate his arm. I and Fela were the last people they put in the lorry, we were together in the lorry, he was covered in his own blood, in his [under]pants, no trousers. That was how they took us to Lagos, Alagbon Close, by Passport Office. 

So, on our way, when they took us, they took us to Barracks Police Station, they didn't accept us, they now took us straight to Lion Building, at Lion Building there was not enough space to keep all of us so they now took us to Alagbon . When we got to Alagbon they asked, before we got to Alagbon Fela's mother has made some important calls and some moves, that you cannot lock my son in his pool of blood, you have to take him to hospital, or if he dies it is on you. So they quickly made arrangements, they took Fela to Falomo Police Hospital. 

We were locked up at Alagbon, so they kept us at Alagbon. We were there, we were at the counter, then there was this police officer, a senior police officer who was driving out, he said "Who are those people?" Then the policeman says "They are Fela's people, those Indian hemp smokers blah blah blah." He said "Why are you keeping them there? They are too much. put them in Kalakuta cell." That was how we discovered there was a cell called Kalakuta cell at Alagbon Close. 

So after 2 weeks, 2-1/2 weeks at Alagbon we were released on bail, Fela's lawyer managed to secure our bail. Fela was already bailed and taken home by his mother on Monday. So when we got home and told him our experiences they now said they should change the name of the organization, to the house, from Fela's house to the Kalakuta Republic. So that was how the house was named Kalakuta, and Kalakuta Republic became another government problem because when they burned the house they claimed that Fela had declared his own republic in Nigeria, Kalakuta Republic. 

Ron: Has anyone ever written that story? 

Showboy: A lot of people don't know it, just some few that maybe I might have told or that has heard it, but it is not everybody that knows it because it is a story of about 38 years, '74. 1974, and we are in 2012. 

(Power Show comes on the PA system and Showboy sings along). All this, I recorded them with Fela. Power Show. {click to listen} 

I and Fela were the last people they put in the lorry...  

(Power Show playing in background) You know Fela is very selective when it comes to playing solo in music. He wrote the music and he wants an expression of the mind, not trying to play what someone else has played. When you do that you are not creative. The band it is not everybody who plays solos because some people have been on that stage for years they never came out to play solo, yes. Because they wouldn't even dare it because Fela, what Fela expect from everybody who goes there to improvise: 1, to be good; 2, to understand the music, not just play any shit. You have to create something for that music that you will not play in another track, so every track has its feel. When you are playing that, you are good, Ron; if you don't do that you know there is no way you will play with Fela and you will not be creative because you are hearing something new every time. And it was, you know it was to a state, is that the competition, who is good who is bad, yeah, because you have some people that go to the house to tell Fela, "Fela, why don't you allow me to play solo on this track." Then he will tell them "OK, I will try you." When he now comes to the Shrine after starting the music he will tell us to "Wait, let him improvise." The moment he start he look at him "What is he playing? Push him away from here." From then he will come to the stage and push you out of there. But, you know, if you come there, if you are doing good with the music, you will see him move his body, dancing, then he will not concentrate any more on you because he knows you are there. But when you are not there, AWWWW.

(Showboy sings along with Power Show) {end of interview}

How Fela's Kalakuta Republic Got Its Name

The story of how Fela Kuti's Kalakuta Republic got its name was recounted to me by Rilwan "Showboy" Fagbemi in our second interview at the New Africa Shrine in Lagos on June 7, 2012.

Ron: So what are we going to talk about today? 

Showboy: Part of my Kalakuta experience. We all talk about Kalakuta but not all of us know how we came about Kalakuta. Because that name was the name that we got from the police cell, from detention. I remember it well, it was in early '74. 1974. You know, we were at Fela's house, at 14A Agege Motor Road...so one day, there was this guy who was passing by. They had been searching for his kid sister for some weeks, they never knew where she was; they were looking for her all over Lagos until this guy, he was passing by Fela's house and he saw his junior sister walk out of Fela's house. The girl was very afraid of him, he was like an oppressor to her, so whenever she sees him she lose control of herself because you know, the fear in her. This guy called her and said "Where have you been all these days?" He started beating her. And in our own house we have a law that says you do not beat women, whatever she does, come and report her, she may be punished more than what you expect but don't touch her. So this guy, supposed to be a strange boy, was beating one of the inhabitants of the house and the boys at the gate and some of the gate men they rushed there, they beat the hell out of him, they beat the shit out of him. He ran away. They rescued the girl and the girl went back to the house. 

So 24 hours later this woman came with the boy claiming, asking, she wants to see Fela, she is the mother of that girl in Fela's house, that she has been searching for her daughter for the past three months, nobody knew the daughter was living in Fela's house. So when she came they told her Fela was sleeping, that she should come back. When she came back this woman told Fela "I am searching for my daughter Folake." And in the house we have two Folake. We have Folake Oladenge and one Folake Oladego. 

So Fela said, "OK, your daughter in my house? Call all the girls." So Fela said, "You are looking for your daughter in my house, call all the girls in the house." They called everybody. "Madam, where is your daughter?" She looked round and said "That is my daughter." So Fela asked the girl, "Is that your mother?" She said "Yes but I don't want to go with her. They are maltreating me, that's why I left the house." Fela said "You heard her, I didn't put an advert sign outside that I am in need of women in my house or anybody in my house. My house welcomes anybody who comes to my house, nobody is invited but anybody who comes is welcomed, he or she is welcome." The woman said she is the wife of a police commissioner and the girl blah blah...Fela said "You heard what the girl said. Yes, you are her mother but she doesn't want to go with you. Do you want me to chain her and hand you the rope so you can drag her home by force or what? I can't do that." That was how the woman left. 

The next day, the next morning, at about 6:00 AM, we saw about 45 policemen. They surrounded the house but they didn't touch anybody. People were going in and coming out. They didn't say anything. Nobody knew their intention or what they had in mind or what plan is next, you know. So people were going, doing their normal business, going in and out as usual. So at about 1:45 (PM) we heard the sirens blaring from far away WAH WAH WAH WAH WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WOOOOO. 

When they got closer to our house we got to know that there were lorry fulls of riot policemen led by the father of one of the girls, the police commissioner. They came to the gate: "Mr. Kuti open your door." Fela said, "I need to see a search warrant." They say "You will open the door or we will force it." They couldn't force the gate open and the house was, you know, we had barbed wire that surrounded the house and all the barbed wire was nailed on some 4 x 2 inch wood so they didn't know how to break in. They now sent some of the policemen to go and buy cutlasses. They started chopping the sticks so they could break into the compound. Fela was standing looking at them. By the time they succeeded at cutting one side, they started jumping into the compound, started making arrests. They threw more than 250 canisters of tear gas, to the extent within this length from where he is sitting (across the table) to here you wouldn't see anything other than white, to tell you how many canisters of tear gas they already shot into the compound.

(to be continued)