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| Fela |
Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti simply called Fela, sang Trouble Sleep, Yanga Wake am to warn people to stop fomenting
trouble. The song begins with
percussion instruments followed by a trumpet. Then he hums the song for a
minute preceded by trumpeters and saxophonists who blow for more than two
minutes to usher in the song.
The funniest part of this seven and half minutes’ song
is where Abami Eda sang: Mr. Husband marry for church, he make big party. Then
he starts to spray, because him love him wife. Him say, wife come run away.
Bank manager run come. He say, “Mister, pay me your debt” wetin him dey find
for Lagos e-o, palaver, he dey find, palaver, he go get-e o palaver, he go get,
palaver.
The above lyrics advised people to cut their coat
according to their cloth.
Figuratively, Trouble Sleep, Iyanga Go Wake am, is
Fela’s way of reminding people about the consequence of challenging an opponent
who may retaliate in a deadly way.
Ironically,
British Oxford English dictionary defined palaver as idle talk or talk that
intends to charm or beguile someone. But, Fela’s meaning of palaver in this
song is trouble. Through this song, a lot of Nigerians misuse palaver, thinking
it means trouble. Some people usually ask: “Why are you looking for my palaver
now?” this shows how Fela’s songs influenced a lot of his fans in Nigeria and
beyond.
Born on October 15, 1938, the multi-talented musician and instrumentalist
died on 2 August 2, 1997 at the age of 59. Lyrics of some of his songs
including Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense,
Zombie, Water No Get Enemy, Sorrow,
Shakara, No Agreement, Roforofo Fight, Tears and Blood and Shuffering and Shmiling were done in pidgin
which made it easier for everybody to sing them.
Being an activist, politically, the Afrobeat meastro might have used Trouble Sleep, Yanga Wake am to
challenge the then military government to leave him alone because he would
react and fight them with a new song.
His voice
was not loud but subtle. Also, the instruments used made the song richer.
1 comment:
Thank you, thank you Fela
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