Fela Kuti: Fear No Man 5: Trickster Makes the World
Oct 29, 2025
Fela Kuti's antics and music created a bold fusion of defiance and creativity. The exploration of Yoruba trickster Ishu reveals how humor can reshape reality. Tales of Fela's arrest and the 'expensive shit' saga highlight his art's resilience against oppression. His confrontation with Decca Records over unpaid royalties illustrates a refusal to be exploited. Raids and violence constantly fueled his songwriting, while his unique method of composing became a form of resistance. Fela's words and ideas remain influential in public discourse, challenging societal norms.
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Fela As Trickster God
- Wole Soyinka likens Fela to the Yoruba trickster Ishu who tests gods and reveals multiple sides of reality.
- This framing connects Fela's mischief and subversive humor to a long cultural tradition that questions power.
Swallowed Evidence, Outsmarted The Cops
- During a 1974 raid police planted a joint, and Fela grabbed and swallowed it to avoid prosecution.
- Friends and his mother secretly swapped stool samples until lab tests found no hemp and he was released.
Took Over The Record Label
- In 1978 Fela occupied Decca Records' offices to demand unpaid royalties and tore up exploitative contracts.
- He called the contracts slavery and drove out corrupt label practices before thugs and company pressure removed him.
