I’ve been finding great joy, hope, and inspiration in Fela Kuti’s music. “Music is the weapon of the future,” he said, and when it feels as though the world is burning all around us, Fela’s music has felt instructive as to how to process the madness and turn that energy into something positive and productive.
The one time I saw Gil Scott-Heron he told the audience that you not only have to work for peace, but you must fight for peace also. Music and art are the weapons we have to fight for peace.
Fela was, to my understanding, a complex and flawed person (as we all are), but the music he made in the direct face of brutal violence, personally and societally, is still ebullient, joyful, and powerful.
I’ve been listening to this song every day of this trip; it’s what I hear as I get dressed and do my pre-show rituals. It’s helping me find the joy, hold it tight, raise it high, and hope.
