Kalakuta Musical Choppings

A Nigerian musical icon, that does not make any reference to Naija food?  Is that one too a naija musical icon?

Fela’s early work set the scene. Jeun ku o’ko was a song about that Glutton who wears out his host with constant visits around meal times. At a time when the Nigerian economy was on the rise and many families had disposal incomes with which to show hospitality to visitors, some citizens of our great country were cursed with appetites that exceeded the average host’s entertainment budget. Those were the seventies when a walk down a Lagos street meant you sailed through various ‘smell zones’ as you went past each house, for there was always a soup being cooked in every kitchen that scented the air. Sometimes the smells collided in one house as various tenants work on different recipes. Those in the boy quarters had pots on stoves also. Depending which way the wind was blowing you could smell food from all the geo-political corners of Nigeria in that Lagos. Despite the oil boom and abundance of food, some individuals were just too greedy.

Chop and quench

O de

Waki and die

O de

A forced deportation was in order with strict warnings never to visit again; they hard simply over- eaten their welcome. This was 1971 and these kamikaze lovers of food risked their lives to get that satisfaction that a stomach stretched to its limits brought. With no fear of a high cholesterol, heart attacks or strokes and with complete disregard to Diabetes, they bravely ate tunnels through mountains. Gluttony is indeed a disease of plenty. There are no gluttons in a famine after all.

Fela called them Oni gbese (perennial debtors) for as they have eaten holes in their own pockets so will they attack other peoples’ income which their virulent appetites. But this is Naija and when we talk food we mean Money. Spending money is chopping (eating) money. For visitors wey no sabi, it is politicians chopping the National wealth and plunging Nigeria into debt.

In 1972 in Lady, Fela bemoaned the new assertive African woman who when the table was set would

take meat before anybody, thereby breaking the unwritten rule that the African man must eat meat first (so long as he was not vegetarian). The second rule is that he dies first as too much meat kills but that is another story.
After the reference to ladies came Gentleman in 1973 in which the singer claimed:

I no be gentleman at all
I bi Africa man, original
Dem call you, make you come chop
You chop small
You say you belleful
you say you be gentleman
You go hungri, you go suffer, you go quench
mi i no bi gentleman like that

This was when visitors were still liberally invited to eat due to the relative prosperity of the Oil Boom. Fela poked fun at the African adopting a fake modesty by eating less than he should while in his mind he imagines that he is behaving like an European Gentleman.

The ruling elite in the seventies took people for granted. The will of the people was trampled underfoot but the great musician warned in musical parables that the people cannot be treated as enemies as they will always win in the end. The people were likened to water. Easy to use and misuse.  Water looks passive yet it is capable of drowning children. Indeed Water no get enemy (1975)

If you wan cook soup, na water you go use

There is nothing you would do, that would not need water.

The heat of the tropics meant the thirst for water was always constant. It was the biggest need of the nation. It brought life into us through our mouths. Our bodies are mainly made up of water so a war declared on water was a stupid war declared on one’s self.  

BY 1976 things were getting harder for the guys. In the song No Buredi (Bread) Fela sang

Hungry dey show im power

You no get power to fight

No buredi

Each year tightened the noose on the neck of Nigeria’s economy. In 1977 Fela’s Stalemate spoke about the reincarnation of the Jeun Ko o’ku Glutton albeit the female version

Two heavy brothers dem sidon inside sun

Dem dey sweat, dem dey share one bottle of beer between dem selves.

Den one fine lady come meet dem , say , ‘brother abeg buy mi one bottle of beer na’.

Dem go look dem selves

Look the woman

Look dem Pocket

Look dem suffer for Africa

Dem go say stalemate

The heavy brothers probably bought beer by the cartons in previous years but words fail them now. In addition, and more importantly, their pockets fail them and they are unable to entertain this Jeun ku  o’ku girl (who interestingly will upgrade to asking for money for Brazillian hair and I phones in years to come).

By 1981 the chopping aka corruption had run into over drive and the debts stood taller than the great Killimanjaro. Original Sufferhead was a Fela song that lamented the extinction of the Kamikaze Glutton due to the harsh economic conditions. Everyone was now a long suffering Naija citizen with chronic malnutrition; an Original Sufferhead. Men were too hungry to care if the ladies took the meat before them, as meat na meat and you rejoiced when you saw it. The Owambe street parties had dried up and the family hospitality budget had been eradicated from homes.

Plenty plenty food for Africa

Food under-ground

Food on the ground

Na so-so plenty food for Africa

Ordinary food for man to chop nko?

E- no dey

The scarcity of food was the paradox that Naijaz lived through in the 80s. People felt they were created to suffer due to a curse that had been placed on their head. The singer articulated the minds and stomachs of the people eloquently.

We all know plenty food for Africa

Plenty plenty land

Plenty fertile land

Plenty plenty farm

Na so so land dey for Africa

Na the big big people dem go dey plant cocoa

If dem no plant cocoa dem go plant groundnut

Na the big big people go dey plant rubber

Operation feed the nation e plenty well well

Fertiliser scheme dey go and come

Billion billion billion Naira e dey follow am

Now we dey go buy rice from America

We dey make order rice from Brasillia

Dem dey send us rice from Thailand

Green revolution im sef im don start well

Ordinary food for men to chop for town nko?

E no dey

The importation of rice continues to shame the nation long after the singer has died and gone. The music continues to be played and the Jollof rice continues to be eaten. There is a prophetic dimension to music.

Today’s musicians will not let us rest with their plenty plenty Banana and so so Big cassava o!!! At least we don't import these two food items.