ImageNations

Title: Fela, This Bitch of a Life Author: Carlos Moore Genre: Biography Publisher: Cassava Republic Pages: 343 Year of Publication: 1982 (this edition, 2010) Country: Nigeria (of Subject), Cuba (of author) Fela, This Bitch of a Life is a biographical autobiography of one of Africa's most talented, philosophical and no-nonsense musician, Fela Ransome-Kuti (later Fela Anikulapo-Kuti or simply Fela Kuti) - a musical genius whose music ring true today as it did during their time of composition. Biographical in the sense that the author is Carlos Moore and autobiographical because Fela speaks in the first person, I. Written in the first person - in the speech of Fela - Carlos Moore, a man who himself had been exiled from his country by criticising the government's race policies, treats us to a deeper, fractal, ever-controversial, sometimes contradictory mind of Fela. Fela, during the period when his life was at risk from the governments of Nigeria, called upon M...

Dr Carlos Moore Literature lovers in Ghana on last week Thursday had the fun of their lives (at least most of them had), when Dr Carlos Moore, author of Fela's official biography, This Bitch of a Life , and professor John Collins, a musicologist and author of the Fela: Kalakuta Notes , took the stage to discuss the works of this great musician who was and is an industry on his own.  The discussion, organised by Kinna of Kinna Reads , saw interesting revelations in the life of Fela, a great musician Africa has ever heard. Questions were asked of the man, what he believed in and what motivated him to do what he did. This is a musician we would never understand: for the passion to fight a government as corrupt as it was cannot be cultivated from just the need to do good. Anyone who wants to do what Fela did must be born for it. After all, it is no coincidence that he is called Anikulapo (he who carries death in his pouch). Participants had the chance of purchasing autographed c...