"Olaniyan has given us a profound and beautifully integrated book
which culminates in a persuasive interpretation of the relationship between Fela's
apparently incompatible presentational selves.... The book's accessible and
evocative prose is in itself a kind of homage to Fela's continual ability to seduce
and astonish.... This is such an attractive book you feel like... ransacking your
collection for Fela tapes." -- Karin Barber
"... an
indispensable companion to Fela's music and a rich source of information for studies
in modern African popular music." -- Akin Euba
Arrest the
Music! is a lively musical study of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, one of Africa's most
recognizable, popular, and controversial musicians. The flamboyant originator of the
"Afrobeat" sound and self-proclaimed voice of the voiceless, Fela used
music, sharp-tongued lyrics, and derisive humor to challenge the shortcomings of
Nigerian and postcolonial African states. Looking at the social context,
instrumentation, lyrics, visual art, people, and organizations through which Fela
produced his music, Tejumola Olaniyan offers a wider, more suggestive perspective on
Fela and his impact on listeners in all parts of the world.
Placing Fela front and center, Olaniyan underscores important
social issues such as authenticity, racial and cultural identity, the relationship
of popular culture to radical politics, and the meaning of postcolonialism,
nationalism, and globalism in contemporary Africa. Readers interested in music,
culture, society, and politics, whether or not they know Fela and his music, will
find this work invaluable for understanding the career of an African superstar and
the politics of popular culture in contemporary Africa.
African
Expressive Cultures -- Patrick McNaughton, general editor
