Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full contradictions, and that's part of what makes him so fascinating. People who love him are able to forgive his bad sides.
His songs are usually 20 minutes or more and are sung in a dense Pidgin English that is almost unintelligible. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to change the world. His music was used to call for political, social and economic change. His influence is still evident even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However, it has evolved into a completely new genre.
His political activism was fierce and fearless. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were provocative critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also used Kalakuta as a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and to promote political activism.
The play features a large portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known activist and feminist pioneer. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs who has successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional treatments.
He was a singer
Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted musician who used his music to facilitate political change. He is renowned for his creation of afrobeat - a fusion of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
His mother was an anti-colonial suffragist, so it is not surprising that he has a passion for social commentary and politics. His parents had hoped that he would become a doctor but there were other goals for him.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. Exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He developed an African-centric philosophy which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a writer.
While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experience inspired him to create an organization called the Movement of the People, and to write songs that reflected his ideas about black activism and political consciousness. His philosophical ideas were aired in public through the way of yabis, an art of public speaking which was referred to as 'freedom of expression'. He also started to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.
Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja. The raids by police and military officials was nearly constant. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs, including "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). However, Fela kept his integrity unshaken. His music is a testament to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is a remarkable legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.
He was a poet
Fela's music used sarcasm and humor to bring attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. During these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big fish in the small pond." These jokes were not taken lightly by the authorities and he suffered repeated arrests and beatings in the hands of the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo which translates to "he carries death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without any question. The military was irritated by this and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor apartment through a window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that followed the country's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with the indigenous African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their nation's traditions. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a rapper
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He grew up listening to jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants which helped form his unique style of music. After a trip to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas were influential in his work.
When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticized the government of his country and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of military.
Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, referred to as "igbo" in Africa. He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at Afrika Shrine, where he would mock government officials and express his views on freedom of expression and beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had an entourage of young women who danced at his shows and also served as vocal backups to him.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion, taking elements from jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own distinct style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial ruling.
Fela refused to be interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta, as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was an activist in the political arena who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and supported the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums including 1973's Gentleman focused on the issue of oppression by both government bodies and colonial parties. He also pushed for black power and criticised 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 an album from 1978. It describes crowded public transports filled with people who are poor, "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 were just as important as Fela’s words.
He was an activist for the political cause.
Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge oppressive authority. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African rhythms and modes and created music that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little melodies, riffs, long-lined melodies and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.
Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to expose their political beliefs, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood for his beliefs even when it was risky to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a prominent feminist who led the Nigerian Women's movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers' union.
He also established 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 relent however and continued to voice his opinion against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his musical and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen by many as a political act. The lyrics of musicians are used to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations aren't accompanied by words. Fela Kuti is among these artists and his music resonates today. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmony with hip-hop and jazz and was being influenced by artists like James Brown.
fela accident attorney , Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a militant and unionist who fought against 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 whole population.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy through a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The Egyptian 80's music blends the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so big that police had to block the entrance to the location.