6 times Fela’s Shrine Featured in Contemporary Music Videos

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Fela Anikulapo Kuti is popularly known as the founder of Afrobeats in Nigeria through his music where he used traditional Afro sounds to preach political activism, bad governance, and deep life lessons making it a soundtrack for generations of Nigerians.

Being a lover of African culture and a die-hard traditionalist, Fela built himself a shrine where he hosted his concerts and made his music. This shrine, which is now known as the ‘Old Afrika Shrine,’ was torn down by the military government due to Fela’s political activism in the 1970s. He then moved to the Empire Hotel in Mushin which became known as the Afrika Shrine or Kalakuta republic. This was burnt to the ground in 1977 as a result of frequent government raids.

A new Afrika Shrine was built in October 2000 by his son Femi Kuti to commemorate the death of Fela. Since then, it has become a tourist attraction for Afrobeats fans around the world.

The new shrine, which is located in the Alausa environment of Ikeja, Lagos State, houses some of the best art and musical performances in Lagos. It has become like home for Afro-beat lovers and has also served as a great location for emerging artists to shoot their videos and host their shows.
Here are some of the best music videos with scenes from the shrine:

Jaiye- Jaiye – Wizkid ft Femi Kuti (2013)

The accompanying video for Jaiye Jaiye by Wizkid which received major acclaim was shot at the new Afrika Shrine. Directed by Sesan, the video got nominated for the Nigerian entertainment awards. This video was able to show scenes inside the new Afrika Shrine as well as the beautiful environment surrounding it. The video was released on October 26th, 2013.

Manya – MUT4Y ft Wizkid (2017)

Directed by Director Q and produced by MUT4Y, this music video took viewers to the heart of the new Afrika Shrine. The video gave us a close look at almost every corner of the shrine from the art on the walls to the stage and everyday activities of the shrine with vendors selling drinks, talking drums, to the traditional dancers in their lovely attires dancing to the rhythm of the music. The music video featured a couple of celebrities including Senegalese-American singer, Akon.

Run My Race – Burna Boy (2013)

Prior to his performance in Felabration 2013 where he stunned the crowd by performing in his underpants, Burnaboy shot the video for Run My Race at The New Afrika Shrine. Directed by Clarence Peters, he credits Fela as the inspiration for the song who he has referred to countlessly as his role model. Hence, his decision to shoot the video at the shrine. The video was able to portray the net where the female dancers perform as well as the nightlife of the shrine.

Teni’s Live concert at Afrika Shrine  (2019)

After performing in over twenty cities across the world, Teni the Entertainer decided to bring the Teni Live tour to the Afrika Shrine on the 6th of July 2019. In an interview with Sahara TV, she said: “Two years ago I had an unforgettable experience at the shrine when I came for Felaberation. I wanted to use the toilet but I couldn’t so I had to use it somewhere else. It was a funny experience. When I thought of that day, I just figured the shrine would be a good place to hold my concert.” The Teni Live concert at Afrika Shrine was well received by fans around the country as the audience enjoyed performances from other artists such as Dice Ailes, Terri, and Skibii.

Eruku Sa’Ye Po – Sean Tizzle (2015)

On November 1st, 2015, Sean Tizzle released the video of his song Eruku Sa’Ye Po, which was shot in The New Afrika Shrine. The video showed the outer part of the shrine, the neighborhood, street vendors as well as clips from the annual felabration. It also gave us a glimpse of the stage which looked a little bit different because of the lighting props that were added to the video.

Hostile Gospel – Talib Kweli (2008)

American rapper, Talib Kweli shot his music video at the Afrika Shrine way before the likes of Wizkid, Burnaboy, and Sean Tizzle. The video of Hostile Gospel which was directed by Nigerian filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu showed Talib in Lagos making his way around the crowded city transported by an okada rider. He eventually gets to the Afrika Shrine where he meets Femi Kuti. The video received critical acclaim from hip-hop and Afro-beat fans worldwide.

 

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