Whether it's Fela, film or fiction, Nigeria's economic capital has a non-stop calendar of cultural events, but other cities have their offerings to the muses too.
Freedom Park, a former colonial prison, has become the symbol of an artistic renaissance in Lagos – a city of 21 million people that can itself sometimes feel like an overcrowded prison.
Where the prison's gallows once stood is an open-air stage that overlooks an art gallery named for Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.
Terra Kulture is another popular arts venue, home to the annual Taruwa Festival of Performing Arts and a year-round schedule of visual arts exhibitions and theatre.
Alongside Freedom Park, it hosted a recent series of plays to commemorate Soyinka's 80th birthday.
Adenrele Sonariwo, a curator of arts events and founder of the Modern Day School of Arts, says: "There are really interesting things going on in the cultural space in Lagos, some superficial, some with a lot of depth. Either way, it takes a lot of courage to do anything in Lagos, so everyone deserves commendation."
Feverish pace
The city's arts calendar is an impressive one, featuring weekly events like Industry Nite at Club Royale, Ikeja – bringing together the money and the talent in the music business – and monthly ones like Open Mic Night and Afropolitan Vibes, which draws attendees to Freedom Park on the third Friday of every month and plies them with live music and fresh palm wine.
This year's festival focuses on "connecting the classics to the avant-gardists in an audiovisual history that spans the times and genres".
Following this is Felabration, a week-long festival commemorating who else but Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the musical genius who invented Afrobeat in Lagos in the 1960s.
The festival, from 13-19 October, is timed to coincide with Fela's birthday on 16 October.
The symposium, in essence, reexamined the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates one hundred years ago, charting the journey and prospects for rediscovery of indigenous culture and glory.
Professor of Philosophy Sophie Oluwole said the historical activity of 1914, which "brought the people of Niger area together" was rather a profit-oriented fusion than an objective amalgamation of a people by the British colonialists.
Felabration is an annual concert commemorating music philosopher, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who spoke truth to power, fearlessly.
The month ends with the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Arts Festival, Lagos Photo Festival and Lagos Fashion & Design Week.
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