The president of France, Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday night made a historic visit to the New Afrika Shrine in Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, home of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Macron was at the New Afrika Shrine, at an event tagged ‘Celebration of African Culture’ to inaugurate the African Cultural Season 2020. As it stands, he is the first president of a nation to step into the hallowed hall of the Afrika Shrine since it’s creation, during his visit, he was treated to undiluted African hospitality.
While speaking to Saturday Beats during the week about France number one citizen’s visit, Afrobeat legend's daughter, Yeni Kuti described how Fela would have felt if he was alive during the French president’s visit.
Fela would have been very happy because while he was alive, he was happy that the government of France recognised him, his struggles and music. French people were the first Europeans to connect to Afrobeat; that is why there is a sustained relationship between the Kuti family and France.
“The president had been to the shrine when he was a very young man and he even made a comment that he never knew he would come back to the shrine as president. He really had fun when he came and enjoyed Femi’s performance. However, he didn’t want to disrupt the flow of the shrine; he just wanted to enjoy his visit. But as a president, his arrival had to be guarded with strict protocols,” she said.
The French president was flanked by dignitaries and Nigerian celebrities alike when he visited The New Afrika Shrine. Yeni said that she saw a lot of new faces at the shrine for the first time.
“I saw a lot of people there who had never been to the shrine before; many people were there for the first time in their life. I was even shocked,” she told Saturday Beat.
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