Fela Kuti
Fela's life is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him captivating. People who love him can forgive his bad sides.
His songs typically last 20 minutes or more, and are performed in dense, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is heavily influenced by Christian hymns classical music, jazz, Yoruba chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music is an instrument for change. His music was used to advocate for political, social and economic change. His influence is still felt even today. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a completely new genre.
His political activism was ferocious and he took action without fear. He made use of his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were bold critiques of Nigeria's regime. He also used Kalakuta as a platform to gather like-minded people and to encourage political activism.
The play includes a large portrait of his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs who has successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite fela lawyers declining health, she refused to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.
He was a singer
Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who used music to effect changes in the political landscape. He is credited as the originator of afrobeat, an energetic mix of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.
Fela's mother was a suffragist against colonialism and it's not unusual that he is a fan for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be medical doctor but he had different plans.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. His music was profoundly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leaders like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He embraced an African-centric philosophy which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a music producer
Fela encountered Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experiences inspired him to establish an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his ideas on political activism and black consciousness. His ideas were expressed publicly through yabis, a form of public speaking that he called "freedom expression". He also began to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained medical professionals.
Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. Police and military officials were constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Despite this Fela was a man of uncompromising integrity. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.
He was a poet
Fela's music employed sarcasm and humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his audience as well as the government and himself. He referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the little pond." The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly, and he was repeatedly arrested and detained, as well as beaten by the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo which translates to "he carries death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without asking questions. The military was offended by the song and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the decades that followed the country's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and native African rhythm. His songs criticised European culture imperialism and supported African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their country's customs. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was an artist of hip-hop.
A saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was heavily influenced by jazz, rock and roll and also traditional African music as well as chants and music. After his trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas influenced his work profoundly.
After his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He was critical of the government in his home country and insisted that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights violations and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis" which was where he would ridicule government officials and promote his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a group of young women, who danced at his shows and acted as vocal backups to his vocalists.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion, taking elements from beat music and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Despite being arrested and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and witnessing his mother killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.
Fela was an activist in the political arena who was a critic of the oppressive Nigerian government and embraced the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on the issue of oppression by both colonial and government parties. He also emphasized black power and criticised Christianity and Islam as non-African imports, which have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from the album from 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses packed with workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His dancers were an excellent complement to his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the performance were as important as Fela's words.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge unjust authorities. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for battle. Most of his songs start as slow instrumentals, gradually layering little riffs and long-lined melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor.
Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics was unflinching and uncompromising. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a fervent 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 established Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government seized the commune, degrading the property and injuring Fela severely. 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 his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen by many as a political act. Artists use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations aren't supported by words. Fela Kuti is among the artists mentioned above and his music resonates today. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with hip-hop and jazz, influenced by artists such as James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was an activist 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 which served its the entire population.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The Egypt 80's music combines the sounds of Fela with a sharp critique of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released by the end of March. A large number of fans paid their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large, that police had to block the entrance.