Odolaye Aremu
Fela’s deep understanding of the African rhythm, in my opinion, was his true genius. Every other musical skill he might have acquired in the course of his celebrated musical life thus pales in comparison to that onerous gift. Again, my opinion. The man never discounted or wasted any flimsy sound he may have established as important to any rhythm that formed in his head. I especially love how he was able to elevate the smallest or certain insignificant notes to embellish the most complex others in his arrangements.
With Fela, everything seemingly works. In his arrangements, all sounds are potentially great. He reminds me of my mom in her old kitchen. In that dilapidated building in our old backyard, every sourceful item was important – including a bowl of omi ẹran. Such seemed to happen In Fela’s studios – whereas it occured every time in my mum’s kitchen – every note was equally valuable within the chordal range. He would have kept a lone clap, a controlled hiss, a finger or foot taps or a loud yell on a recording if any or all made sense to him.
Fela’s singing voice does not amaze me one bit! It’s his buildup to his music that does it for me every time. Like a fantastic bricklayer, Fela was ingenious in the conceptual way he laid down every brick of his sound one at a time in their rightful places till the mansion was completed, and the architectural beauty of the project finally beckons to all and sundry. He was the talented Maths Professor who dramatically lavished his time on an equation to the point of Q.E.D. A perfectionist with no sense of wúrúwúrú to the answer. Every piece is crucial to solving an elaborate puzzle. An abstractive explanation to the unusual, generous length of an average Fela track. He painstakingly, with no sense of haste, taught the rudiments of rhythmic application on every track.
Every record carries the same permanent signature. On two of his instrumental tracks (I am not sure if he recorded more) ‘Palm-wine Sound’ on the album “Fear Not For Man,” And in ‘Dog Eat Dog’ on the album “No Agreement” that featured acclaimed Jazz Trumpeter Lester Bowie. Both albums released on, or around 1976-1977. Hard to project how well the tracks would have jelled without the methodical slap of beads against the gourd. Every instrument that featured on the tracks worked impressively. However, the Ṣẹkẹrẹ, in my mind, stands out to be the minor sound with a major impact.
Fela Anikulapo gets his credit everyday like the able, resourceful dog that lives in close proximity to the Eṣu shrine. The dog’s daily sustenance is on the deity’s able shoulders. The Ṣẹkẹrẹ player on the other hand needs the mention. He must never be forgotten. Though Fela was the bandleader, the major player – but this piece is dedicated to the Ṣẹkẹrẹ man – the minor player!
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