Fela Kuti
Fela is a man of contradictions. That's why he's so intriguing. People who love him forgive the bad parts of him.
fela claims run for longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a dense, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also blends jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music is an instrument of change. His music was used to advocate for political, social and economic changes. His influence is still evident to this day. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However it has evolved into a brand new genre.
His political activism was fierce, and he acted without fear. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were blatant criticisms of Nigeria's government. He also referred to Kalakuta as a venue to gather like-minded people and to encourage political activism.
The play includes a large portrait of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a prominent feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs who has successfully communicated her importance in the life of Fela. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her declining health she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead she opted for traditional medicine.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who used music to effect political change. He is famous for his work on Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.
Fela's mother was a suffragist who was anti-colonial So it's not unusual that he has a love for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be an ophthalmologist but he had different plans.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. His music was greatly influenced by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leadership such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a music producer
While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. This led him to start a political group called the Movement of the People and compose songs that expressed the ideas he had about political activism and black awareness. His philosophical ideas were aired in public through the way of yabis, which is a form of public speaking which is referred to as "freedom of expression". He also started to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to accept medication from Western-trained medical professionals.
After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club The Shrine in Ikeja. Raids from police and military officials were almost all the time. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially the 'yamuna' and 'bana' (heroin). However, Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official goals. It is an extraordinary legacy that will endure for generations to be.
He was a poet
Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also made fun of his audience, the government, and even himself. During these shows, he referred to himself as "the big dick in the pond with a little." These jokes were not accepted lightly by the authorities, and he was frequently arrested and beatings in the hands of the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo which translates to "he has death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without any question. The military was offended by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window.
In the decades after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticised European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for disrespecting their country's tradition. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a rapper
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a saxophonist and trumpeter, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He was heavily influenced by jazz, rock, and roll as well as traditional African music, chants and music. After a trip to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas have influenced his work.
The music of Fela became a political instrument after his return to Nigeria. He criticised the government of his home country and also argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was frequently detained for his criticism of military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He held "yabis" (public discussions) at Afrika Shrine, where he would mock government officials and spread his views regarding freedom of expression and the beauty of women's body. Fela also had a group of women in his youth, who danced at his shows and served as vocal backups to his vocalists.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and vocal critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused, despite being interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta, as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died from complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was an activist for the political cause who was a critic of the oppressive Nigerian government and supported the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums including 1973's Gentleman focused on addressing oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also promoted black-power and criticized Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports for dividing the people of Africa. The title track on a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses filled with poor workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was also complemented by his dancers, who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions were as important as Fela's words.
He was an activist in the political arena.
Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge oppressive authority. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African modes and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for a fight. The majority of his songs start as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers riffs, long-lined melody lines and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy.
Fela, unlike many artists who were scared to discuss their political beliefs, was fearless and unbending. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was risky to do so. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers' union.
He also established Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak against the government. He died in 1997 from complications caused by AIDS. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen by many as a political action. Artists use lyrics to demand change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not supported by words. Fela Kuti is one of these artists, and his music still is heard today. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hip-hop, inspired by artists like James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist who fought colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied marxism and believed in the idea of a Nigeria that was serving its entire population.
Seun, Fela's Son, continues to carry the legacy of his father with the band Egypt 80. The band is touring the world in this year. The Egypt 80's music combines the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of power structures that still exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Many fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral held in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large that police had to shut off the entrance to the location.