For many, the New Afrika Shrine may seem forbidden, but for Made Kuti, also known as Omorinmade Anikulapo-Kuti, it’s not just a place; it’s a home that significantly influenced his life.
As a child, he watched his father, Femi Kuti, perform on the stage and absorbed stories about African freedom fighters, gaining early awareness of life’s realities.
“I would always ask, who is this guy on the poster? My father would say Sankara and would explain who Sankara was to me. That level of information, I never got it anywhere else. It was only in the Shrine I could learn about history,” Made shared with The Record.
Rebecca Ajao, the lead dancer of Made Kuti’s band, lives by the motto “don’t judge a book by its cover without reading the book.”
This is why she embraced the opportunity to work at the Shrine, despite hearing negative tales about the club.
“I heard things like they rape, smoke and that it’s not safe. They said you can’t hang around the Shrine; you can’t stay for too long at the Shrine. You know I am a dancer, so I heard a lot. They said as a dancer to work with the Kuti’s is difficult; you have to be very spiritual, you have to be this and that,” Ajao cited some of the rumours she heard.
Ajao described her two-year journey with the Kuti family as an amazing period filled with challenges that enriched her professional dancing experience.
Similar to Ajao, many viewed the New Afrika Shrine with skepticism, hearing stories portraying it as a haven for questionable individuals or a dimly lit place clouded with marijuana smoke.
Inedoye Anikulapo-Kuti, a fashion entrepreneur and Made’s wife, echoed these sentiments, recalling her initial hesitancy during her first visit to the Shrine with a friend. Overcoming her fears, she revisited the Shrine in 2017 with Made, attending the Sunday Jump performance where Femi Kuti took the stage.
“Femi Kuti was on stage, it was one of the best nights of my life. Since then, I kept coming back,” Nedo said.
The New Afrika Shrine
The original Afrika Shrine, established in the 1970s by the late Afrobeats Legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, served as his home until a few weeks before his passing in 1997.
Following Fela’s death, the Shrine fell into disrepair. In 2000, his children, led by his eldest daughter, Yeni and his eldest son, Femi, reopened a new version, known as the New Afrika Shrine.
However, they couldn’t reopen the original Shrine as it was on leased land for the duration of Fela’s life. The current 23-year-old New Afrika Shrine, located at NERDC road, Agindingbi, Ikeja, is four times the size of the original club.
The New Afrika Shrine is a roofed, two-story building featuring an open space for the audience to sit and enjoy live performances on the stage. There are bars on the ground floor and the first floor for guests who prefer a top-down view.
Within the club, amenities include a small library, merchandise stores, a restaurant, pool tables, and designated chill-out areas. Additionally, several food stalls on the premises offer a variety of meals, from instant noodles to Nigerian home-cooked dishes, snacks, ice cream, grilled fish, and Suya meat.
“We have everything you need here. This is why we don’t allow guests or visitors to bring in food or drinks,” the guard at the reception informed our correspondent.
According to the manager, Mr. Sunday Essien, the club is available for rental at affordable rates, catering to events such as birthday celebrations, parties, and other small gatherings.
Regarding the club’s drug policy, Essien clarified that hard drugs are strictly prohibited at the Shrine, but smoking is allowed.
He emphasized that the sale of drugs, including weed, is not permitted, and they have a legal vape shop on the premises.
The club is open to all from Monday to Saturday for free, except on show days when tickets, still affordable, are required.
Made Kuti explained to The Record that the free entry and cheap show tickets reflect their focus on providing the best possible venue and creative space for people rather than pursuing financial gains.
“It is not a business that I know we have approached with a financial gain in mind,” he expressed.
The New Afrika Shrine’s primary goal is to honour and preserve Fela’s contributions to the local community and the broader evolution of post-colonial Africa. Femi Kuti, describing the Shrine as a united place for everyone, irrespective of gender, social class, or race, emphasized its inclusive nature.
“The Shrine for me is all about positive revolution. The poor people sit with the rich people, the white people sit with the black people, and nobody feels different,” He said.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Afrika Shrine hosted shows almost every night of the week.
Jazz night was on Mondays, Reggae music on Tuesdays, ladies night on Wednesdays, Femi’s rehearsals on Thursdays, disco night on Fridays, DJ party fest on Saturdays, and Seun Kuti performed on the last Saturday of the month. Sundays featured Femi’s live band.
Currently, shows are held only on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sundays.
“Monday and Tuesday is our rest days,” the tour guide at the Shrine told The Record.
Inside the club, a small shrine altar exists, devoid of religious or traditional ties to any gods. This shrine serves as a place where visitors can pay homage to the spirits of freedom activists who fought for African rights. The altar is adorned with name tags of traditional Yoruba gods and pictures of African freedom fighters and activists, including Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti, and others.
Nightlife at the Shrine
Night time at the New Afrika Shrine is truly when the club comes alive, especially on Sundays with Femi Kuti and the Positive Force.
Attending the Sunday Jump, as the show with Femi Kuti is popularly known, on December 17 requires a gate fee of N2000, which is remarkably affordable for an elite performance.
The show commences at 7 pm, with the Positive Force starting the performance. The band captivates the audience with songs from various legendary Nigerian musicians, ranging from Christy Essien-Igbokwe to Fatai Rolling Dollar, and setting the atmosphere with Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s iconic tunes.
Femi, on this day, showcases his new offerings, which include new songs with dance steps that often betray his age.
People start entering the club around 8:30 pm. Not just Nigerians but also foreigners. The dance floor is open for all. Guests not interested in dancing gather at the snooker pool area can engage in games with others.
By 9pm, the hall would be nearly full, and waiters would have to bring out more chairs and tables for the late arrivals.
Indeed, the Shrine is a cool place to be, whether during the day or at night. The ultimate experience, however, is on days featuring special live band shows by either Made Kuti and the Movement or Femi Kuti and the Positive Force.
It stands out as the most affordable spot for a delightful night on the mainland, providing an opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich culture of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. This cultural richness and vibrant entertainment lifestyle are likely what attract foreigners to the Shrine.