Fela Kuti and the unknown soldier
by Adedognin Abimbola
with thanks to Anahita Mekanik

In 1977, Fela Kuti and Africa 70 released the album Zombie, which heavily criticized Nigerian soldiers. The album infuriated the government, who raided Kuti’s commune with 1,000 soldiers. During the raid, Kuti was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was fatally injured after being thrown from a window. The commune was burnt down. The official inquiry that claimed an unknown soldier had destroyed the commune. (Lagos, Nigeria)

Artist Statement

Music is the weapon of the future, said Fela Kuti. For this scent, I chose elements that reflect his music shows: warm skin, fresh sweat from dancing, marijuana. I also chose scents that represent his beliefs about Africa: the wood of the slave ships, the freedom of a return to Africa (with a rich earth sell to represent the African soil). Finally, I represented the actions of the unknown soldier with burning wood, gunpowder, and tears.

Watch Adedognin Abimbola talk about “Fela Kuti and the Unknown Soldier”