"Fela’s inspiration for the original Afrika Shrine is barely remembered now, but it is noteworthy and is reflected in today’s New Afrika Shrine. Fela modelled his club, which he opened in 1972, in part on the Mbari Artists and Writers Club in the university city of Ibadan. The Mbari, which Fela knew well in the mid 1960s, was founded in spring 1961, some six months after Nigeria won independence from Britain. It was both a place of entertainment and a cultural and political salon, where young Nigerians gathered in a spirit of optimism to discuss the country’s post-colonial future. Fela’s cousin Wole Soyinka co-founded the Mbari after a spell in London, where he had been studying and sharing accommodation with Fela. ..."
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