CAPTURING FELA

His beat was Fela. A photojournalist in 1976 named Femi Akintobi began his career with The Punch. It was in the heat of the rage of the legendary musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti against the military government that this journalist was assigned to take pictures of Fela wherever he went. From all reports gathered, Fela never resorted to violence in his engagement with the government.  But his lyrics were scathing especially for those whom the cap fits. Anyway, it turned out that covering Fela was unpredictable, dramatic and demanding. On February 18, 1977, the game changed for every journalist who had to be truthful, fair and most importantly courageous in their reportage. It was the day some soldiers marched to Fela’s commune and razed it down.

Last Monday, this reporter met Akintobi, who documented history through his photo exhibition series titled, Fela’s Courage in Trouble Time, at the Afro-beat legend’s former residence, now Kalakuta Museum, along Gbemisola Street in Ikeja, Lagos.

“I worked with The Punch for only four years,” he recalled. “I joined The Punch in September 1976. I am one of the pioneer staff. I was delegated officially to cover Fela at the time when the travails started.  Once, I had been locked up at the international airport. I was there to take Fela’s pictures and was arrested and locked up for about 24 hours.’’

Some of the photographs at the show included pictures of vandalised vehicles, burnt musical instruments and badly injured members of Fela’s family and by family, that would include all who lived in the commune with him. Akintobi recounted how he got informed on that day of horror.

“There was no phone at that time. Some people ran to The Punch to inform us. The Punch was at Idi Mangoro, very close to Agege. Kalakuta was at Idi Oro Mushin.  So we had to rush there. By the time I got there, the whole building was in flames. I was at a nearby bridge to take my shots. I was there with Peter Obey, who worked with Daily Times. We were there and we just manipulated ourselves around the area to take our shots.’’

When asked whether he was a little afraid to carry out the task, he shook his head. But he also knew the photographs would be valuable one day. He took photographs of Fela’s mother, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was thrown down from a two-storey building. In addition, there was a picture of his brother, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti who also sustained injury and was placed on a wheelchair. Akintobi was also there when Fela was discharged from the hospital and went to inspect the damage at Kalakuta Republic. Akintobi recalled that Fela wept when he saw the charred music instruments. Not long after, he left The Punch for a new media house, Concord Newspapers.

“In 1980 I left to Concord,” he continued. “I joined Concord on March 4, 1980. I had to move the negatives because they were dumped somewhere and could get missing or damaged and I have been keeping them since then. I still have the negatives of all these pictures that you are looking at. I worked in concord for about 16 years. I mean I was in Concord till its closure.’’
Covering troubled zones essentially requires courage. Akintobi spoke about other events that he covered in his days as a young journalist.

“I can only tell young journalist, to be courageous in whatever they are doing. That is key. For instance, when I was in Concord, I went to the Sahara Desert twice. I went to InGemini, a war-torn territory with the courage I had. There was dedication to work at that time. We were being encouraged. Then the MD Sam Amuka-Pemu, who is now the publisher of the Vanguard let us know that the sky is the limit for us all. He encouraged us to work more. Every time I see my picture in the front page, I feel very happy because it gives me joy.’’

Also on the wall was a front-page picture he took while at The Punch of Fela’s phenomenal wedding with 27 wives. That prompted the discussion on the sort of content that made front page stories in the 70s and 80s. Today, political stories often make front page news instead of human rights violation stories. And in few cases where human rights-related stories make the front page, they are politicised.  Akintobi thought that the threat to journalists’ lives had changed the tune of the news content and prominence.

“Majority of our colleagues believe that the type of society that we have now made it so. Many journalists were being attacked, kidnapped, and killed. This has made many journalists not to be doing this kind of reportage. But that time, even with the little resources that we had, we were able to deliver. For instance, we didn’t have sophisticated camera to take these shots. We were using look-and-take cameras. I also covered the students’ riots in 1983 or so. I was even given an award in the office for my bravery. I enjoyed doing the job at that time and that was the spirit.’’

While looking at Fela’s flamboyant wedding pictures, this reporter asked how he felt taking those shots. Akintobi’s face lit up at the memory of being with Fela at the court registry where he wanted to have his marriage to 27 wives registered.
“It was very interesting,’’ he admitted, still bemused. “We went to court initially. Tunji Braithwaite happened to be his lawyer then. But the court told Fela that such marriage was not possible under the provisions of the law. That it was illegal. So he went for a traditional option instead. He called a priest to bless the marriage.’’

He displayed 15 works at the exhibition as part of activities marking this year’s Felabration in honour of the late Afrobeat musician.
“Although, I have well over 100 pictures in my keep, that I am yet to print. I want to be exhibiting them in series. For instance, this series is titled, Fela’s Courage in Troubled Times. I will focus more on the family separately in another series and there will be more series in future,’’ he promised.

By Yinka Olatunbosun