Fela Kuti: Fear No Man 11: Endless Returns
Dec 10, 2025
In this discussion, DJ Switch, a Nigerian DJ and activist known for her pivotal livestream during the End SARS protests, shares her harrowing experiences during the Lekki Toll Gate tragedy. Obianuju Iloaya recounts the emotional toll of losing her brother to SARS abuses, emphasizing the impact on her family. Renu Odwala discusses her role in organizing protests and the powerful resonance of Fela Kuti's music in mobilizing youth. Together, they reflect on the deep-rooted issues of police brutality and the cyclical nature of Nigeria's political struggles.
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Music As Cyclical Time
- Fela's music uses repetitive grooves to induce a trance where listeners lose track of time.
- That repetition mirrors political and historical cycles rather than forward linear progress.
Circles Over Lines
- Jad contrasts Western belief in linear progress with Nigeria's lived sense of history repeating in circles.
- Political leaders reappear in different guises, reinforcing a national sense of cyclical time.
A Sister Waiting For A Missing Brother
- Obianuju describes how she and her brother were inseparable growing up and how he later disappeared after being arrested.
- Their family was told to pay SARS for his release and later searched rivers for bodies.
