Macron visits a discotheque founded by Fela Kuti during a visit to Nigeria | News from the world

Emmanuel Macron visited a nightclub founded by the legendary Nigerian star of Afrobeat Fela Kuti, who has the reputation of a hedonistic haven filled with frantic music, underclothes dancers and l & # 39; Smell of marijuana.

This meeting was held in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, just hours after talks and a press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari in the capital, Abuja, at the beginning of a visit of two days in this country of West Africa.

During the press conference, he declared his commitment to help the fight against Islamist militants in the northeast, before embarking on the one-hour flight to Lagos to visit the new sanctuary of Afrika.

The place replaced the famous original created by Fela, which burned in 1977. It is run by the sons of the musician Femi and Seun, who perpetuate the musical and cultural tradition of their father.

Fela – a singer, songwriter and saxophonist – was the pioneer of Afrobeat sound by combining organ riffs with brbad and brbad instruments from West Africa. He was also famous for his intrepid criticism of Nigeria's military regime.

"Fela was not just a musician, he was a politician who wanted to change society," Macron told the audience from the scene. "So if I have a message for the young people, it is this: "Yes, politics is important, yes, get involved."

Fela was jailed dozens of times by military leaders in the 1970s and 1980s, including by Buhari when he was a military leader in the early 1980s.

The presence of the French president brought a different atmosphere to the famous place. At a party during which clbadical songs of Fela were performed alongside contemporary artists and a fashion show was held, the French president told the audience that Nigeria was important to the African culture

. the face of African culture in Europe. "

" It will be a new generation of African artists – for them by them, "he said.

The visit to Nigeria marked a return to familiar territory for Macron and he spent six months in Abuja as an intern at the French Embbady in 2002.

Asked about previous visits to the legendary Lagos club, he said: "I can not tell you everything that happened when I came to the Sanctuary – because what is happening at the Sanctuary remains at the Sanctuary."