Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's what makes him so fascinating. People who love him can forgive his bad sides.

His songs often run for 20 minutes or more, and are sung in a dense, almost unintelligible Pidgin English. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also blends jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music is an instrument of change. His music was used to call for social, political and economic reforms. His influence can be felt even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However, it has evolved into a new genre.

His political activism was intense, and he acted without fear. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption by the government and human right abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also referred to Kalakuta as a place to meet like-minded people and to encourage political activism.

The play features a large portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a prominent feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and she does an excellent job of capturing the importance she played in Fela's life. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health she refused to be checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatment.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome-Kuti was a complex man who employed his music as a tool for political change. He is renowned for his creation of afrobeat - a fusion of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was also a fervent critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

Being raised by an anti-colonial feminist mother It's no surprise that fela legal advocacy (take a look at the site here) was a fan of politics and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become an ophthalmologist however, he had other plans.

While he began in a more apolitical highlife fashion, a trip in America could alter his perspective 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 that would inform and guide his later work.

He was a writer

Fela met Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experience inspired him to start an organization called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that expressed his thoughts about black activism and political consciousness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis - a form public speaking he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to impose strict moral codes for his band, such as refusing to use medication from Western-trained doctors.

After returning to Nigeria Fela started building his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The raids by police and military officials was almost daily. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity regardless of this. His music demonstrates the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will last for generations to be.

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, government, and even himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick in the little pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was often detained, imprisoned, and beaten by the authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo which means "he has his death in his pouch."

In 1977, fela legal advice recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to zombies who followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song and they raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. During the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.

In the years following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that blended jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticized fellow Africans for betraying the traditions of their homeland. He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.

He was a rapper

A trumpeter, saxophonist, composer, and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up listening to jazz and rock and roll, as well as traditional African music and chants which influenced his unique 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.

When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticized the government of his home country, and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights violations, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.

Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, referred to as "igbo" in Africa. He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at Afrika Shrine where he would mock government officials and express his views on freedom of expression and beauty of women's body. Fela had an harem, which was a group of young women who performed in his shows as well as supported him vocally.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements of beat music, and highlife into his own distinctive style. He was a prominent African musician and a vocal critic of colonial ruling.

Fela refused to be tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta as well having witnessed the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.

Fela was an activist in the political arena who was a critic of the oppressive Nigerian government and believed in the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, such as 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both the government and colonial forces. He also pushed for black-power and criticised Christianity, Islam and other non-African influences for dividing the people of Africa. The title track from an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses filled with poor workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His music was enhanced by his dancers, who were vibrant elegant, sensual, fela Legal Advocacy and beautiful. Their contributions to the show were as important as the words of Fela.

He was a militant in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was a militant who used music to challenge oppressive authority. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms making an ear that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.

Fela was, unlike many artists who were scared to speak about their politics, was fearless and unbending. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was risky to do so. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister as well as the head of the teachers' union.

He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an expression of resistance. The government raided Kalakuta's Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to relent however and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often seen as a political act, and musicians use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations are not supported by words. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music still rings out to this day. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop that was being influenced 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 that Nigeria should be serving its whole population.

Seun Fela's Son continues to carry the legacy of his father with a band named Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The band's music is a blend of the music and politics of Fela's day with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that persist today. The new album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans attended the funeral and paid tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that police had to block the entrance to the venue.