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French President, Emmanuel Macron has made good his promise to visit the new Afrikan Shrine in Lagos.
Last night, he was received by late Fela Anikulapo Kuti's first son, Femi Kuti in company of Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
In the words of the French President, 'I mean Fela, Femi, Seun Kuti are obviously very famous in France and Europe, I mean they are big successes but the Shrine is a cultural hub, an iconic hub and it is very important for me first on a personal level, and that is why I want 2 say with a lot of humility that I recognize the importance of this place, I recognize the place of culture in this current environment.”
Femi Kuti, Afrobeat musician and son of music legend Fela thrilled French President Emmanuel Macron and guests alongside dance hall singer Yemi Alade at the New Afrika Shrine on Tuesday.
Both of them were among entertainers and industry experts gathered at the Shrine to celebrate Fela’s legacy during the visit of French President.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Macron, who visited the shrine to inaugurate the African Cultural season to be hosted in France in 2020, is believed to be the first real President to enter the shrine.
The event, hosted by Banky W and Kenturah King, was tagged ‘Celebration of African Culture’ and witnessed massive turnout of entertainers across the music industry and Nollywoood.
Macron was welcomed by the Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode and was given a tour of the cultural landmark, shortly before he was seen gleefully dancing as Femi Kuti performed.
The New Afrika Shrine serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival and is currently managed by Fela’s children Femi Kuti and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti.
It is the replacement of the old Afrika Shrine created in 1970 by Fela Kuti until it was burnt down in 1977 and showcases photo galleries of Fela’s life and musical performances.
Performing a medley of her hit songs, Yemi Alade stepped on stage with a crew of energetic dancers to perform live, which elicited the applause of guests, including Macron.
This was followed by a short skit improvisation by Nollywood stars including Joke Silva, Dakore Akande, Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nuoah, where Macron played the role of a film director alongside Kunle Afolayan.
Macron earlier stated that he was not a stranger to the club, adding that he recognised the Shrine as an importance place for lovers of African culture. (NAN)
