Fela Kuti
Fela is a man with contradictions. That's what makes him so intriguing. People who love him can overlook his shortcomings.
His songs are often 20 minutes long or longer and are sung in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is heavily influenced by Christian hymns jazz, classical music Yoruba singing, and horn-andguitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to change the world. He made use of his music to push for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is still evident in the world of even today. Afrobeat is a musical style that blends African and Western influences. Its origins lie in West-African hip-life music and funk, but it has since evolved into a distinct style.
His political activism was fierce and frightened. He made use of his music to protest against government corruption and human right abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring criticisms of the Nigerian regime. fela attorneys used Kalakuta as a place to meet like-minded people and to encourage political activism.
The play features a huge portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs, who successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses her political activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to get checked for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatment.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted man who used his music to facilitate political change. He is renowned for his creation of Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Fela's mother was a suffragist against colonialism and it's not unusual that he has a love for political commentary and social commentary. His parents had hoped 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 the leaders like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ideology, which would inform and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. This led him to create an activist group known as the Movement of the People and compose songs that reflected the thoughts he had about political activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis - a form public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also began imposing an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained doctors.
After returning to Nigeria Fela began building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. The frequent raids by military and police officials were nearly constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). However, Fela was a man of uncompromising integrity. His music is a testament to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official goals. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.
He was a poet
Fela's music used sarcasm and humor to bring attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans as well as the government and himself. He referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick in the small pond." The authorities did not take his jokes lightly, and he was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. He was also beating by the authorities. He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo which translates to "he has death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who were able to follow orders without hesitation. This irritated the military who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. In the course of the raid, her mother was thrown out of her second-floor window.
In the decades after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their country's customs. He emphasized the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a hip-hop artist
A trumpeter, saxophonist, composer, and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up with jazz and rock and roll, as well as 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.
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 that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.
Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis", in which he would lampoon government officials and promote his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had Harems, a group of young women who performed in his shows and supported his vocally.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own unique style. He influenced a generation African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Despite being snatched and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and seeing his mother killed, Fela refused to leave the country. 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, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both the government and colonial forces. He also promoted black power and criticized 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 staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. His dancers were an excellent complement to his music. They were vibrant, sensual and elegant. Their contributions to the performances were as important as the words of Fela.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti used music as a way to challenge oppressive authorities. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African modes and rhythms, resulting in an edgy sound that was prepared for battle. Most of his songs begin as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little notes, riffs and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy.
In contrast to many artists who were hesitant to expose their political beliefs, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood for his beliefs even when it was dangerous 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 established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that grew into a symbol of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta's Republic, destroying property and severely injuring Fela. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act, with artists using lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations are not performed with words. Fela Kuti is among these artists, and his music still is heard today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat that combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies, with funk and jazz inspired by 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 that Nigeria should serve its entire population.
Fela's son Seun continues his father's work, with the band Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sound of Fela with a sharp critique of power structures that still exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid their tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that police were forced to shut down the entrance to the location.