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He distinguished
himself from the early pack of Christians with his gift of music. As an
organist, he was said to be a great composer. Great was his musical dexterity
that so many local traditional religious worshippers turned to Christ. For that,
he was a marked man in the society. But unknown to him, he was creating a
record, both in heaven and on earth.
On this terrestrial divide, and in
what became Nigeria in 1914, he became her first gospel musician and the first
Nigerian to write Church hymns. Many of these hymns are being used in so many
Yoruba speaking Anglican CChurches today. Not only this, his children, like
Israel Ransome-Kuti, Fela's Father was also a great song writer. The popular
Egba anthem, Abeokuta Ilu Egba, was composed by him.
Another folk song, Ise Agbe, Ise Ile wa, was also
composed by Israel. The muse also bit Israel's Children.
 * St Peters Cathedral, Ake, Abeokuta,
The First Church in Nigeria. |
 * Grand-son, Fela and his 27
wives. |
*
Fela |
Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti was the best known. Apart from being a very controversial figure,
owing to his political commentaries unconventional disposition to life, Fela
created Afro Beat Music, making him the first African to creat a musical genre.
Fela also publicly rubbish, denounce and dropped the colonial end of his
surname, Ransome which he got from his ancestry, and took a more curious and
indigenous one, Anikulapo (One who has death in his
pocket). It is noteworthy that Fela's musical talent was also
inherited by two of his children, Femi and Seun. Today, they are continuing the
Afro-beat tradition.
But to Christians, it is sad that many of the
descendants of the pioneer Christian, Jesse Josiah Ransome Kuti are not in the
faith today. Though Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti was said to be a member of
the Anglican Cathedral in Marina, Lagos, he was not known as a functional member
of the Church. Oludolupo better known as Sisi Dolu went to Church
sparingly. Speaking to Bola Adewara during an
interview conducted long before her death, she said she has a
lot of grouse against the current Anglican CChurches: their new methodology
which has seen them introduce praise and worship, (the Church is no longer
solemn as it used to be in those days) the CChurches now collect money under
different guises like tithe, building fund, wedding thanksgiving, end of the
month thanksgiving, such that if you take N5000 to Church, you will finish it,
and that CChurches don't give receipts when they collect money from people.
Funny idea you say?
Fela was outrightly against Christianity or any
colonial inheritances. He had said times without number in many of his
interviews and songs that he would not copy or partake of any whiteman's
standard. True, Fela did not partake of things like western medication, even
unto the point of death. But his standards were almost contradictory. For
instance, he was never seen wearing native dresses like Buba,
sokoto, kembe trousers, danshiki
or Agbada with abeti
Aja's cap. Rather, he was always in Western trousers and shirts,
though made with native fabric. However, in respose to this, Fela had said
whiteman's claim to trouser will require another Berlin Conference.
Beko was not known to have been to any Church.
Even their Children are not know to be Christians. Dotun, son of the Prof,
Yemisi and Nike, Children of Beko, Yeni, Femi, Seun, Motunde and Kunle, children
of Fela from different women, are not know in the Christian faith. In fact, when
Fela's third child Sola, died, rather than opt for being buried in conventional
tomb, she left a will to be cremated and her ashes was spread over flowers in
Femi's house.
But what could be responsible for the sudden loss of
interest of these children in the faith? This is a million dollar question. What
is the history of Jesse Josiah Ransome-Kuti, popularly called JJ in the family.
The pioneer Christian, JJ, as he was fondly called, served as a curate
under Rev. D. O. Williams for a reasonably long period of time took over the
charge of St Peter's Church, Ake after the death of Rev. Williams in January
1911. The Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was noted for his regular visitation to
Church members.
He had the credit of knowing virtually all the members of
his congregation and would call them by their names, being familiar with their
households through repeated visits.
He was much known for his spreading of the
Christian faith to villages, visiting his new converts and attracting many more
through the display of Magic Lantern, showing pictures relating to Christ and
Jerusalem. Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti usually spent the whole of Sunday in
the Church premises, starting with Sunday school early in the morning and ending
with the evening service.
Reliable information had it that Canon J. J.
Ransome-Kuti stood against chieftaincy titles in the Church. He was a good lover
of music, a renowned psalmist who composed very many songs with native air to
attract pagans to the Christian faith.
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* Yeni, Fela's eldest daughter
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* Great
grand son, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti |
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He was popularly known as the 'Singing
Minister'. It could be safely said that Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti won more
converts to the Christian faith than any other Missionary, white or black. Rev.
Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was respected for being transparently honest, chaste
and fearless.
It was not surprising that his singing
talent reflected in his children, grand children, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and
Frances Kuboye (daughter of Oludolupo) and great-children, Femi, Yemi and Seun.
When he visited England In 1921, he chose the
organ, still in use in the Church, and caused its purchase by Mrs Emily L. Wood.
The pipe organ bought by Mrs E. L. Wood for St Peter's Church, Ake in 1921 was
received on behalf of the Church by Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti. It is worthy
of note to state that Mr. Authur Popoola, a driver to Chief James Bernard
Majekodunmi the Otun of Egbas was the first organist to play on the pipe organ.
Speaking on his grand father, Prof. Olikoye
Ransome Kuti, Nigeria's former Health Minister and elder brother to Fela, (both
now late) told this reporter at an interview in 1999 at his Lekki home that
while visiting the British Museum in the early 1990s, one of the curators who
heard his name as Ransome-Kuti became curious and asked him if he knew one JJ
Ransome-Kuti.
"I responded that he was my grand father. He then went
away and brought an old tape which he played. I was shocked to hear the voice of
my grand father, singing so many Church hymns he composed, accompanied with
organ."
 * Prof.
Olikoye Ransome-Kuti. |
* Sisi Dolu |
 * Dr. Beko
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Prof. Olikoye said "I sought the permission of
the man to record the tape to which he declined but I'm sure that tape is still
in the British Museum. How those songs got there is still a mystery to
me."
It was the practice in the Church Missionary Society (CMS) that any
school teacher who put a school girl in the family way should be dismissed but
Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti advised that a better and reformative disciplinary
action could be tried. He suggested that such teacher should be compelled to
marry the expecting mother and retain his job so that he would be able to take
care of both the woman and the child. And that marked the end of dismissing such
erring teachers but helped many of them to live a better and more responsible
life.
Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti was a powerful
preacher who lived the very thing he preached. He died in 1930. The surplice
with which he was laid in state was laundered by Mrs. Eliza Solabomi Otolorin,
niece of the Rev. D. Williams.
* With additional
reports from The History of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake Abeokuta.
Some Songs by JJ Ransome Kuti
Eje komo ko wa o
Eje k'omode ko wa
(2x)
Jojolo...
Omo kekere jojolo awon lore eledumare
E je komode ko
wa.
*** This song was confirmed by Prof. Olikoye
Ransome-Kuti
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