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Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. This is what makes him so fascinating. People who love him can accept his flaws.

His songs are often 20 minutes long or longer and are sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is inspired by Christian hymns classical music, jazz, Yoruba music, chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to change the world. He utilized his music to call for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is evident in the world of in the present. Afrobeat is a form of music that blends African and Western influences. Its roots lie in West-African high-life music and funk however, it has evolved into its own genre.

His political activism was intense and he took action without fear. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were provocative critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also used his residence, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism and an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.

The play includes a large portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known activist and feminist pioneer. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs, who successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela. The play also highlights on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health she was unable to get tested for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatments.

He was a singer

Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who used music to effect political change. He is credited as the creator of afrobeat, an energetic mix of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.

Having been raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela was a fan of politics and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be an ophthalmologist, but he had different plans.

While he began in a more apolitical, highlife vein, a trip to America would change his outlook forever. His music was profoundly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leadership like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He developed a philosophy of Pan-Africanism, that would influence and guide his later work.





He was a writer.

While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experience inspired him to form a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that expressed the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis, a form of public speaking that he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to establish a strict ethical code for his group, which included refusing to use medicine from Western-trained doctors.

After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. Police and military officials were all the time. The Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers-on who he had re the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela kept his integrity in spite of this. His music speaks to his determination to challenge authority and ensuring that the desires of the masses are reflected in official goals. It is a legacy that will last for generations.

He was a poet

In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also snarkily mocked his audience, the government, and even himself. During these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big fish in the small pond." These jokes were not accepted lightly by the authorities, and he was frequently arrested and beatings in the hands of authorities. He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo, meaning "he is carrying death in his pocket."

In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window.

Fela developed Afrobeat during the years that after Nigeria's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for ignoring the traditions of their homeland. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was a rapper

A trumpeter, saxophonist and composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up listening to jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped form his style of music. After a visit to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas have influenced his work.

Fela's music was a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He criticized the government in his home country and insisted that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of military.

Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis" which was where he would ridicule government officials and spread his beliefs on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had a harem, which was a group of women who performed at his shows and backing him vocally.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion, combining elements from jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own distinct style. He was a renowned African musician and vocal critic of colonial ruling.

Fela refused to leave, despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.

Fela was an activist for the political cause who was a critic of the oppressive Nigerian government and embraced the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both government and colonial political parties. He also promoted black-power and criticized Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports for dividing the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from the album released in 1978. It describes crowded public buses full of working poor people, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. The dancers of Fela were an excellent match for his music. They were sensual, vibrant, and elegant. Their contributions were as significant as Fela's words.

He was an activist in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge the unjust authority. fela claims railroad employees made use of his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African patterns and rhythms, creating an edgy sound that was prepared for a fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding little riffs and long-lined melodies until they burst with urgency.

Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to discuss their political views He was adamant and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was an avowed feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was both a protestant minister as well as the head of the teachers' union.

He also founded Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that grew into an emblem of the resistance. The government raided the Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injuring Fela. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often viewed as a political act, with artists using lyrics to demand change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations aren't performed with words. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music still rings out to this day. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hip-hop and was inspired by artists like James Brown.

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and opposed colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied marxism and believed in a Nigeria that was serving its all of its citizens.

Fela's son Seun continues his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of power structures that still exist in the present. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. Many fans paid their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge that police had to shut down the entrance to the location.