On 22 October 2026, the Institute of African Studies (IAS) of the University of Ibadan and IFRA-Nigeria held the fourth conference of the "Imagine(d) Africa" series. Professor Sola Olorunyomi, the Director of IAS, presented his work on Fela Kuti in a lecture titled "End time, political economy & the future of Afrobeat." Professor Olorunyomi published Afrobeat! Fela and the Imagined Continent in 2005 and is an eminent scholar of Afrobeat. For his presentation, he was accompanied by Kunle Tejuoso, Director and Founder of the Jazzhole and Director of Glendora bookshop.
Professor Sola Olorunyomi
Professor Olorunyomi's presentation and the following discussion talked of Fela Kuti's anticapitalist views, his protests of government in contrast with the contemporary Afrobeats artists. He described the Afrika Shrine where he performed, its atmosphere and the spiritual practice that took place there. Finally, they also touched on Kuti's creativity, in comparison to genres such as jazz and hip-hop in the African-American community of the United States.
Participants to the conference