Notes

25 Surprising Facts About Fela
Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's what makes him so intriguing. People who love him accept the bad parts of him.

His songs are usually 20 minutes long or longer and are sung in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost unintelligible. His music is heavily influenced by Christian hymns and classical music, jazz, Yoruba chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to transform the world. His music was used to call for social, political and economic reforms. His influence is still present even today. Afrobeat is a form of music that combines African and Western influences. Its origins lie in West-African hip-life music and funk, but it has since evolved into its own genre.

His political activism was fierce and frightened. He used his music to protest government corruption and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were shrewd critiques of Nigeria's regime. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as an opportunity to meet people who were like-minded.

The play features a huge portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does a great job of expressing her significance in Fela's life. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to get tested for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted man who used his music to effect political change. He is famous for his work on afrobeat - a fusion of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was also a constant critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.


His mother was a suffragist against colonialism, so it is not unusual that he is a fan for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents believed that he would be a doctor, but he had other plans.

A trip to America changed his perspective forever. Exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would influence and inform his later work.

He was a songwriter

Fela encountered Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experiences inspired him to establish an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to write songs that reflected his ideas on black and political consciousness. His philosophical ideas were aired through the way of yabis, a form of public speaking which is referred to as 'freedom of expression'. He also began to impose strict moral codes for his group, which included refusing to use medicine from Western-trained doctors.

Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja. The snares of police and military officials was almost constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area around the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela was a steadfast person in spite of this. His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official goals. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.

He was a poet

Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his audience, the government, and himself. In these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big fish in the small pond." These jokes were not viewed lightly by the authorities and he was repeatedly detained and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo, which means "he has his death in his bag."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers to mindless zombies who followed orders without any question. The military was offended by the song who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.

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

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 influenced 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 influenced his work.

The music of Fela became a political instrument after his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government of his country and also argued against Western sensibilities affecting African culture. He also wrote about human rights violations and social injustices. right violations. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of the military.

Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa and is referred to 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 an entourage of young women who performed at his shows and also served as vocal backups for his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion, taking elements from beat music and highlife to create his own distinct style. He influenced generations of African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.

Despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta and witnessing his mother be killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died in 1997 from AIDS-related complications.

Fela was a prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on addressing oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also emphasized black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from the album released in 1978. It describes overcrowded public buses full of working poor people, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce enemy of religious hypocrisy. Fela's dancers were also a great complement to his music. They were vibrant, sensual and regal. Their contributions to the performance were as important as the words of Fela.

He was an activist in the political arena.

Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to confront unjust authorities. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, creating an edgy sound that was prepared for a fight. The majority of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly adding little riffs and long-lined melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor.

Fela like many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics He was adamant 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 both 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 Kalakuta Republic, destroying property and severely injuring Fela. He refused to give up and continued to speak against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications related to AIDS. fela case settlements continues to carry his legacy of music and politics.

He was a father

Music is often seen by many as a political action. The lyrics of musicians are used to call for change. Some of the most powerful music performances are not performed with words. Fela Kuti was one such artist, and his music is still ringing out to this day. He pioneered Afrobeat that combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies, with jazz and funk, being influenced by artists such as James Brown.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela's maternal grandmother was a militant and unionist who was a fighter against 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 served its the entire population.

Seun Fela's son continues to carry the legacy of his father with a band named Egypt 80. The band is touring the world in this year. The band's music blends the sounds and politics of Fela's day with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that are still in place today. Black Times will be released at the end March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so big that the police had to block the entrance.

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