Sorrow Tears and Blood offers a glimpse into the complicated social, cultural, and political phenomenon that is Nigeria.

Though Nigeria is the most populous African country, and sometimes called the “Giant of Africa,” Fela’s album sheds a sharp light on the reasons why Nigeria has not lived up to its potential. While the text primarily hovers over 1977 (the year of the album’s release) as a critical cultural moment in Nigerian history, it also explores the album in the context of a wider look at how colonialism and its aftermath impacted the social, political, and economic environment in Nigeria, and how Western imperialism continues to affect Nigerian identity and life. As we reflect on Nigeria’s turbulent post-independent political and social history, Sorrow Tears and Blood offers a rich sonic and lyrical landscape in which to interrogate the potency of Fela’s message for generations to come.

Stephanie Shonekan is Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and professor of ethnomusicology  at the University of Maryland. Previously she was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Missouri and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Shonekan earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology and folklore with a minor in African American studies in 2003 from Indiana University. She has published articles and book chapters on afrobeat, Fela Kuti, Nigerian and African American hip-hop, soul music and country music. Her publications explore the nexus where identity, history, culture and music meet. Her books include The Life of Camilla Williams: African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva (2011), Soul, Country, and the USA: Race and Identity in American Music Culture (2015), Black Lives Matter & Music (2018), Black Resistance in the Americas (2018), Dear Department Chair: Letters from Black Women Leaders to the Next Generation (2023), and Sorrow, Tears and Blood (2025).

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