Again, thanks to Pete & Metal Monkey for your comments. This version incorporates yr advice & text from the original draft I wrote inspired by a painting in the "Black President" exhibition at Barbican in 2004.
Fela!
From “Fela: Amen, Amen, Amen†2002 by Barkley Hendricks
Spliff like a log, yr head in a halo,
ancestors hang around yr shoulders
like smoke,
a bushman agbada,
in skintight gold lamé you squeeze
the barbwire heart of Afrika.
No animal wears that skin.
Akuba (Oranyan)
Oh egungun in straw mask expanding infinite heads,
terrifying liars & cheats & snakes & crocodiles,
animals in human skin
with their Swiss bank billions infamy
they got it infamy,
they think
1 touch can kill their billions
just like that just like that just like that!
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 fingers preaches 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.
Sweat balls yr forehead,
you stamp the demons in their limousines.
Never tire of baiting 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 stencilled black
president
Akuba…
Notes:
agbada – expensive thick gown worn by Nigerian men on special occasions
Akuba (Oranyan) – call & response chant by Fela Kuti referring to Akuba congo drums used in Afrobeat music
egungun – Yoruba lit. trans “bonesâ€, or “ancestors†featuring in giant masked parades
Yab dem – Pidgin lit. trans: “Diss them!†Fela Kuti was famous for his onstage rants against corruption.