FESTAC ’77: Nigeria’s forgotten Woodstock
1969’s Woodstock Festival has become something of a gold standard for musical festivals. The three-day celebration of ‘Peace and Music’ encapsulated the incredible art and rebellion that arose from the American counterculture of the 1960s. Since that time, few events have come close to reaching the heights of Woodstock, but one that certainly came close was FESTAC ‘77.
Also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC was held in the musical haven of Lagos, Nigeria, in 1977. The festival aimed to celebrate the art and culture of African nations, but instead of taking place in a prestigious arena or theatre, FESTAC adopted a Woodstock approach. Reports from the time speak of nightly parties and jam sessions at the barrack-style accommodation meant to hold roughly 22,000 attendees.
In fact, the festival created an entire village, ‘Festac Town’, to accommodate the festival attendees and workers – which some sources claim were as high in number as 100,000. In contrast to the fleeting nature of most music festivals, FESTAC, in this sense, had a lasting impact on Nigeria as this town remained after the festival, becoming a vibrant neighbourhood in the years following.
In addition to celebrating the 56 sovereign states of Africa, FESTAC also celebrated artists of the African Diaspora, allowing artists such as Stevie Wonder, Gilberto Gil and Mighty Sparrow to perform during the nearly month-long event. For a country that has produced an incredible array of Africa’s finest artists, many well-known Nigerian names were absent from the line-up, including its most famous son, Fela Kuti.
Nigeria was in a difficult political position for much of the 1970s. The decade started with the end of the Nigerian Civil War, which saw a military dictatorship take over the rule of the West African nation. In response, many artists and musicians used their position to criticise the totalitarian regime that governed their country. This is where the trouble with FESTAC begins, as a military General organised the festival. Fela, who was initially part of the National Participation Committee responsible for the organisation of the festival, soon resigned after noting the influence of Nigeria’s military government.
This is unsurprising when taking into account how much of Fela’s music was staunch in its desire to question government and military authority, his 1977 album Zombie being perhaps the best example of this. In response to what he saw as the military propaganda of FESTAC, Kuti organised his very own festival to be held simultaneously within the grounds of his Kalakuta Republic, drawing in names like Sun Ra, Stevie Wonder, and Hugh Masekela.
Despite the criticism FESTAC drew from those critical of Nigeria’s military leadership, further amplified when the military raided Fela Kuti’s commune, killing his mother, later the very same year, it did provide a unique opportunity to celebrate the diversity and vibrance of African culture. Although many have forgotten it, the basic principles that FESTAC stood for were hugely important, even if the execution left more than a little to be desired.
