The renowned highlife singer Pat Thomas has shared an intriguing story from his encounter with the great Fela Kuti in Nigeria, an event that almost drove him insane due to marijuana use.
Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti, also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist.
He is considered the pioneer of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre combining West African music with American funk and jazz. He was a charismatic and influential musician with international significance.
In an interview with Blakk Rasta on 3FM, the “Sika Ye Mogya” hitmaker narrated his visit to Nigeria with his close friend and manager, Sunny who happens to be Felas’s good friend. The whole idea behind the visit to Nigeria was to meet the iconic Fela.
However on their arrival in Nigeria, they happened to meet at a club owned by Fela, it was there that Fela, known for his affinity for marijuana enticed Pat to join him partaking in the “Fela Goro” weed.
“I remember I went to Fela’s house in Nigeria, myself and a friend who was managing me, his name is Sunny, a very good friend of Fela. And it happened that he took me to Nigeria, we went to Fela’s club, and the next day he took me to the house, and it is this weed that I am talking about, you know Fela had something they call Fela Goro,” he narrated.
Pat added that after taking one puff of the Fela Goro wee, he felt dizzy and nearly went mad.
“So, as Fela saw me, he took one, and then he gave me one (weed). My manager told me, ‘charley try some.’ Charley, me this thing, I fear, but I wanted to show guy guy to Fela that me too, adey smoke. So, the moment I smoked, what happened to me, I wished you were there, I was feeling dizzy badly, but he was just smoking, I nearly went mad,” he added.