Macron's visit Fela would have been happy

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The New Afrika Shrine recently played host to the French President Emmanuel Macron , and during his visit , he was treated to undiluted African hospitality .

While speaking to Saturday Beats during the week about France number one citizen ’ s visit , Yeni Kuti described how Fela would have felt if he was alive during the French president ’ s visit.

“ Fela would have been very happy because while he was alive , he was happy that the government of France recognised him , his struggles and music . French people were the first Europeans to connect to Afrobeat; that is why there is a sustained relationship between the Kuti family and France .

“ The president had been to the shrine when he was a very young man and he even made a comment that he never knew he would come back to the shrine as president. He really had fun when he came and enjoyed Femi ’ s performance .

 However , he didn’ t want to disrupt the flow of the shrine ; he just wanted to enjoy his visit . But as a president, his arrival had to be guarded with strict protocols, ” she said .

The French president was flanked by dignitaries and Nigerian celebrities alike when he visited The New Afrika Shrine. Yeni said that she saw a lot of new faces at the shrine for the first time .

“ I saw a lot of people there who had never been to the shrine before ; many people were there for the first time in their life . I was even shocked , ” she told Saturday Beat.

Meanwhile , Nollywood actor cum politician , Desmond Elliot , has revealed why Macron visited the Shrine .

Elliot , who is one of the people excited by the recent visit of the French President , told
Saturday Beats , that the French President wanted to know about Africa and where Afrobeat originated from .

He stated , “The French President wanted to know things about Africa and everyone around the globe knew the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti , the originator of Afrobeat. For him to know Africa first hand , Macron knew he needed to come to the Shrine and there was no better place to host him than the place he could see Africa at its best .

“ The entertainment industry is proud and this has raised the bar for the industry . It is so huge for a sitting president of a European country to visit the Shrine and he enjoyed everything about Africa . I am a strong supporter of African culture and I love everything African.

 I want to encourage other states that whenever they have an important dignitary , they should take them to see their culture . ”
Also , the actor said , though Nollywood did a skit to welcome Macron , the visit was beyond the movie industry .

“ Nollywood did a skit but the importance of the visit goes beyond the movie industry . It was a plus for the entertainment and tourism industries . You know one of the ways we can export our culture is through entertainment , ” Elliot stated .

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