Stephanie Shonekan on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Sorrow Tears and Blood
Stephanie Shonekan on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Sorrow Tears and Blood
ARHU Dean Stephanie Shonekan will discuss her book Sorrow, Tears and Blood at People's Book in Takoma Park. This is an opportunity to learn more about Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti and Shonekan's scholarship. Fela Kuti's album 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.
In addition to her role as dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Stephanie Shonekan is also a professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Maryland. Previously she was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Missouri and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Shonekan earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology and folklore with a minor in African American studies in 2003 from Indiana University. She has published articles and book chapters on afrobeat, Fela Kuti, Nigerian and African American hip-hop, soul music and country music. 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), Dear Department Chair: Letters from Black Women Leaders to the Next Generation (2023) and Sorrow, Tears and Blood (2025).
You may purchase Sorrow, Tears and Blood online and support People's Book.
This is an in-person event. Seated capacity at People’s Book is 50 patrons. Standing room is an option. All events are first-come, first-served seating. Accessible seating is always available.