Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Sorrow Tears and Blood

Author: Dr. Stephanie Shonekan Series: 33 1/3 Africa

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With a focus on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s album Sorrow Tears and Blood (1977), this book is an exploration of the artist’s critical vision of Nigeria in the aftermath of independence, and a study of the socio-cultural, economic, and political implications that stretch into the 21st century.

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Summary

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Sorrow Tears and Blood offers a glimpse into the complicated social, cultural, and political phenomenon that is Nigeria.

Though Nigeria is the most populous African country, and sometimes called the “Giant of Africa,” Fela’s album sheds a sharp light on the reasons why Nigeria has not lived up to its potential. While the text primarily hovers over 1977 (the year of the album’s release) as a critical cultural moment in Nigerian history, it also explores the album in the context of a wider look at how colonialism and its aftermath impacted the social, political, and economic environment in Nigeria, and how Western imperialism continues to affect Nigerian identity and life. As we reflect on Nigeria’s turbulent post-independent political and social history, Sorrow Tears and Blood offers a rich sonic and lyrical landscape in which to interrogate the potency of Fela’s message for generations to come.

About the Author

Stephanie Shonekan is Professor of Ethnomusicology and Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, USA. Her dual heritage combining West Africa with the West Indies allows her to straddle the Black world comfortably. Her publications explore the nexus where identity, history, culture and music meet. Her books include The Life of Camilla Williams: African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva (2011), Soul, Country, and the USA: Race and Identity in American Music Culture (2015), Black Lives Matter & Music (2018), Black Resistance in the Americas (2018), and Race and the American Story (2024).