Notes

25 Unexpected Facts About Fela
Fela Kuti

The life of Fela is full of contradictions, and that's part of what makes him so fascinating. People who love him will overlook his shortcomings.

His songs are often longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost impossible to understand. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be an instrument of change. He used his music to advocate for social and political changes and his influence can be felt in the world even today. Afrobeat is a style of music that blends African and Western influences. Its roots lie in West-African high-life and funk However, it has since developed into its own style.

His political activism was ferocious and he did it without fear. He used his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were blatant criticisms of Nigeria's dictatorship. The residence he lived in, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as a gathering place for 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. Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does an excellent job of capturing the importance she played in Fela's life. The play also explores on her political involvement. Despite fela lawyer deteriorating health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatment.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who used music to effect political change. He is credited with being the creator of afrobeat. It was an invigorating blend of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

His mother was an anti-colonial suffragist So it's not surprising that he is a fan for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents believed that he would eventually become a doctor, but he had other plans.

A trip to America changed his perspective forever. His music was greatly affected by his exposure to Black Power movements and leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would guide and inform 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 create a political group called the Movement of the People and compose songs that reflected the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis - a form public speaking that he called 'freedom expression'. He also began imposing an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained physicians.

Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. The frequent raids by military and police officials were nearly constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area around the club with hard drugs particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela was a steadfast person in spite of this. His music speaks to his determination to challenge authority and demanding that the popular goals are manifested in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will endure for generations to be.

He was a poet

Fela's music used sarcasm and humor to draw attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also made fun of his audience, the government, and even himself. He referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick in the little pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly, and he was repeatedly arrested and detained, as well as beaten by the authorities. He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo, meaning "he carries death in his pocket."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he contrasted soldiers with brainless zombies that followed orders without any question. This offended the military, which raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor by the window.

In the years following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combined jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticised European culture imperialism and supported African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticized fellow Africans who violated their country's traditions. He emphasized 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 was inspired by rock, jazz, and roll as well as traditional African music as well as chants and music. After a trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement, and her ideas impacted his work profoundly.

Fela's music was a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government of his country, and argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights violations and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He often held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" which was where he would lampoon officials of the government and share his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a group of women in his youth, who danced at his shows and also served as vocal backups for him.

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 rule.


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

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

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge the unjust authority. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms making music that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers riffs, long-lined melody lines and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.

Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to speak out about their politics, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood up for what he believed in, even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president 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 Kalakuta's Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to back down however and continued to protest against the government. He passed away in 1997 due to complications related to AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his political and musical legacy.

He was a father

Music is often viewed by many as a political act. Artists use lyrics to demand change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations are not supported by words. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music still rings out to this day. He pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African harmonies and rhythms with funk and jazz 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 that Nigeria should be serving its entire population.

Seun Fela's son is carrying on his father's legacy with a group dubbed Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sound of Fela and a scathing critique of the power structures that exist in the present. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large that police had to block the entrance.

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