Mungo Park and the River Niger: How Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Threw Nigerian Historical Intelligence off Balance
Mungo Park and the River Niger: How Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Threw Nigerian Historical Intelligence off Balance - Emeka Esogbue Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, dubbed the "King of Afrobeat," is arguably the greatest artist in Nigeria. His status as a political activist and Pan Africanist gave him practically all advantages. In this sense, he was a respected sociopolitical voice, and all those who heard him learned something. Fela spent his whole career as a musician denouncing the injustices that afflicted African society. His vocalization was an outspoken and perhaps even angry denunciation of colonialism, which he saw as the source of the sociocultural, political, and economic difficulties that Africans continue to face. It was this mindset he encountered at Mungo Park, which is currently being adopted by perhaps half of Nigerians. A satirical song by Fela about Mungo Park's purported "discovery" of the River Niger led to a great deal of misconception among Nigerians about t...