Afrobeat Rebellion: When Fela came home again + Photo
by The Eagle Online · The Eagle OnlineIn Lagos, on October 12, 2025, the air inside Ecobank’s Pan African Centre felt charged, like something bigger than a concert or an art show was about to happen. You could hear drums somewhere in the distance, laughter rolling through the lobby, and the quiet hum of anticipation that always comes before a night that’s going to mean something.
This was Afrobeat Rebellion, part exhibition, part performance, part love letter to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The evening began with a warm welcome from the hosts, followed by a speech from Laurent Favier, France’s Consul-General, who spoke about the long thread between France and Nigeria, how Fela’s music had first fascinated French audiences decades ago, and how that connection has only deepened with time.
Then came Papa Omotayo, Creative Director of WhiteSpace. He talked about how the exhibition was built: ten rooms tracing Fela’s life, from his early days to his final years, each one designed to pull visitors inside his story. “We didn’t want to just show Fela,” he said. “We wanted people to feel him.”
Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director of Ecobank, took the mic next. Lawal called the exhibition a symbol of African creativity and rebellion, “proof,” he said, “that art and memory are as powerful as any form of currency.”
Representing the Lagos State governor and the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Bukola Agbamiloja, celebrated Fela’s role in shaping Nigeria’s creative spirit. She reminded everyone that Afrobeat wasn’t just music, it was movement, resistance, voice. Her words carried through the room with quiet pride.
And then, the lights dimmed.
The crowd began to move, guided into rooms filled with projections, artefacts, and the echo of Fela’s voice. There were photographs of the young saxophonist, grainy footage from Kalakuta Republic, snippets of his interviews looping softly against the walls. Each space told part of a story, his family, his politics, his sound, his women, his rebellion.
- Erotic Monday Night: Naughty encounter with my physiotherapist, by Tiwa Says
- 2026 World Cup: We’ll fight for a decent win — Super Eagles Coach
- Tinubu mourns Uma Ukpai, describes him as anointed crusader of faith
- Transcorp Power posts impressive Q3 2025 results
- Alleged $12m fraud: Court to rule on whether bank MD can question witness
Some rooms pulsed with light. Others were almost silent, except for the rhythm of a distant drumbeat that seemed to follow you around.
And then, just when it felt like the night couldn’t get any more alive, the music started.
The Ezra Collective, a jazz-fusion band from London, took the stage and filled the hall with a modern spin on Fela’s energy. Horns blazed. Drums talked back.
People were dancing, nodding, smiling, like they had stepped into the kind of night that could’ve happened at The Shrine decades ago.
Somewhere between nostalgia and now, Lagos found itself again.
Because Afrobeat Rebellion wasn’t just about remembering Fela. It was about Lagos, chaotic, fearless, endlessly creative Lagos, taking back the story and saying, this is ours.
The night marked the official opening of Afrobeat Rebellion, a three-month exhibition hosted at the Ecobank Pan African Centre. It will run through the end of the year, open to the public and completely free, though visitors are required to register in advance to secure a slot. Each session offers timed access, ensuring that everyone gets the full, immersive experience Fela himself would have loved, up close, loud, and alive.