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Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's why he's so fascinating. People who love him will forgive the flaws in him.

His songs are typically 20 minutes long or longer and are performed in a thick Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to transform the world. His music was used to argue for social, political and economic reforms. His influence is still felt today. Afrobeat is a musical style that blends 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 fierce and frightened. He made use of his music to protest government corruption and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were bold criticisms of Nigeria's government. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as an enclave for political activism as well as an opportunity to meet like-minded people.

The play features a large portrait of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs, who successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also highlights on her political involvement. Despite her declining health she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional treatments.

He was a singer

The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex 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 relentless critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.

Being raised by fela lawyer -colonial suffragist mother and a feminist father, it's not a surprise that Fela was interested in social commentary and politics. His parents wanted him to become medical doctor however, he had other plans.

While he initially sounded in a more political highlife vein, a trip to America would change his outlook forever. Exposure to Black power movements and the leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He developed the Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would guide and inform his later work.

He was a songwriter

Fela encountered Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experiences inspired him to establish an organization called the Movement of the People, and to write songs that expressed his thoughts on black and political consciousness. His ideas were expressed publicly through yabis - a form that he described as "freedom expression". He also began to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept medication from Western-trained doctors.

After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club The Shrine in Ikeja. The raids by police and military officials was almost daily. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, particularly 'bana' and 'yamuna' (heroin). Despite this Fela kept his integrity unshaken. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will last for generations to come.

He was a poet

Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also made fun of his audience, government officials, and even himself. In these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the little pond." These jokes were not taken lightly by the authorities and he was frequently arrested, imprisonments and beatings at the hands of authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo which translates to "he is carrying death in his pouch."

In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to zombies who 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 out of her second-floor by the window.

In the years after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combines jazz and traditional African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism and defended traditional African beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for betraying their country's tradition. He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.

He was a rapper

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music. He grew up listening to jazz and rock and roll, as well as traditional African music and chants which helped form his unique style of 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 in a profound way.

Fela's music was 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 societal injustices and human rights abuses and was often detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa, which is known as "igbo". He often held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis" where he would ridicule 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 young women who performed at his shows and acted as vocal backups to his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused 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 detained and tortured by the Nigerian military junta as as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.

Fela was an activist in the political arena who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and embraced the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on fighting oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also emphasized black power and criticised Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. The title track on the album from 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses filled with poor workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was enhanced by his dancers who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions were as significant as Fela's words.

He was an activist in the political arena.


Fela Kuti was a militant who used music to challenge oppressive authority. He steered his knowledge of American funk and jazz toward African patterns and rhythms, resulting in music that is ready for battle. Most of his songs start with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding small riffs and melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor.

In contrast to many artists who were afraid to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood up for what he believed in even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and 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 seized the commune, destroying the property and hurting Fela badly. He refused to give up, and continued to speak against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his legacy of music and politics.

He was a father

Music is often seen by many as a form of political protest. The lyrics of musicians are used to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations are not accompanied by words. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music is still ringing out to this day. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat that combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with funk and jazz, in the style of artists like James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti 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 was serving its entire population.

Seun Fela's Son continues to carry the legacy of his father through a band named Egypt 80. The band will be touring the globe this year. The band's music blends the music and politics of Fela's day with a passionate critique of the same power structures that persist in the present. Black Times will be released at the end March. Thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral held in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge that police had to shut off the entrance to the venue.

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