Segun Lee French
United Kingdom
Segun Lee French
From one brother to another, this is Segun's rapid-fire word flow, a rhythmic and melodic tribute to the legendary Nigerian musician and revoluntionary Fela Kuti, calling up his spirit of defiance, indignation and fierce individuality. Its a wake up call of the timeless kind to forsake the false gods, the slave masters in new guises and the new age opiates for modern day masses. The poem rages yet still retains the tenderness of the honouring of a phenomenal African artist and unforgettable soul, who clearly has made a profound impact on this poet.
BIOGRAPHY
Nigerian-Mancunian Segun is a singer, poet, producer/composer, playwright, film-maker & club pr... More >
Fela
Spliff like a log, yr head in a halo,ancestors hang around yr shoulderslike smoke, a bushman agbada.Fela! The barbwire heart of Afrikain skintight gold lame.No animal wears that skin. Akuba (Oranyan)O egungun in straw expanding infinite heads,unmasking liars & cheats & snakes & crocodiles,putting the funk into zombies & slave dictators animals in human skin, animals in human skin Run from Fela, run!He who carries death in his pocket/who hides smoke in his shit/who lifts millions in his underpants/ Akuba (Oranyan)Ride the organ under yr fingerspreaches truth.Yr sax blurts & farts & screeches truth.The buzz saw zzzzzzzzzz in yr throat tears lies from the air& teaches truth.Phat & fresh green smoking truth.No animals in yr skin. You taught us how to be a manwhen all around are beasts of burden,slaves to the riddim of the petrol cancan: dash me something dash me naira dash me sterling dash me contracts I go never completeyou taught us how to say no to a million dollars,because the spirits told you so. Akuba (Oranyan) Sweat balls yr forehead & you stampdown demons in armoured limousines,never tire of baiting with yr words.Yab dem Fela yab dem!Never sell out! Never a saint!What use to people a man without sin?Better yr flawed arrogance,the flayed beauty of truth,a goldleaf icon torn & used as roach,a purple plastic cup with yr face stenciled blackpresident. Akuba (Oranyan)
