Notes

25 Amazing Facts About Fela
Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's why he's so fascinating. People who love him are able to accept his flaws.

His songs typically last up to 20 minutes, and are performed in thick, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is heavily influenced by Christian hymns, jazz, classical music, Yoruba chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to influence the world. He used his music to advocate for social and political changes, and his influence can be evident in the world of in the present. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However it has evolved into a brand new genre.

His political activism was ferocious and unflinching. He made use of his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were bold criticisms of the Nigerian regime. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as an area for gathering with people who were like-minded.

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

He was a singer

The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who employed his music to facilitate political change. He is famous for his work on Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was also a relentless critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

Having been raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mom It's no surprise that Fela was interested in political and social commentary. His parents had hoped that he would become a doctor but he had other ideas.

A trip to America changed his perspective forever. The music he composed 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 philosophy, which would influence and inform 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 activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his views on political activism and black consciousness. His philosophies were publicly expressed by yabis - a type of public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also began to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to accept medication from Western-trained medical professionals.

Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. The 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, particularly 'bana' and 'yamuna' (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity despite this. His music speaks of his determination to challenge authority and demanding that the popular goals are reflected in official goals. It is a remarkable legacy that will last for generations to be.

He was a poet

In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to discuss political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also poked fun at his audience, government, and even himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick in the small pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was frequently detained and detained, as well as beaten by the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo, which means "he has death in his pocket."

In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies that followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window.

Fela developed Afrobeat in the decades that followed Nigeria's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with the indigenous African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their country's traditions. He emphasized the importance of human rights and freedom.

He was a hip-hop artist

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a saxophonist and trumpeter, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music. He was influenced by rock, jazz, and roll and also traditional African music, chants, and music. After an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work dramatically.

The music of Fela became an instrument of political power 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 human rights violations and social injustices. rights abuses. He was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.

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

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He combined elements of beat music, and highlife into his own unique 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 well being a witness to the murder of his mother. He died of complications related to AIDS in 1997.

Fela was a prominent political activist who criticized the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, such as 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both government and colonial parties. He also pushed for black power and decried Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses filled with poor workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His music was also complemented by his dancers, who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the performances were as significant as the words Fela used.

He was a militant in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was a militant who used music to challenge unjust authority. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African modes and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for a fight. The majority of his songs start with slow-burning instrumentals. fela railroad accident lawyer , riffs, long-lined melodies and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy.


Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to discuss their political views He was adamant and unbending. He stood up for what 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 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 emblem of resistance. The government raided the commune, destroying the property and hurting Fela badly. He refused to relent, though and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications arising from AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his legacy of music and politics.

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 musical demonstrations are not performed with words. Fela Kuti is one the artists mentioned above and his music is heard today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat, combining traditional African rhythms and harmonies with funk and jazz, in the style of 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 served its all of its citizens.

Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy through a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music combines the sounds and politics of Fela's time with a passionate critique of the same power structures that are still in place in the present. The new album, Black Times, will be released in March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large that police had to block the entrance.

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