Fela Kuti
Fela is a man of contradictions. That's what makes him so fascinating. People who love him can overlook his shortcomings.
His songs are typically 20 minutes or more and are performed in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is inspired by Christian hymns and classical music, jazz, Yoruba singing, and horn-andguitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to influence the world. His music was used to advocate for political, social and economic reforms. His influence is felt to this day. Afrobeat is a form of music that blends African and Western influences. Its origins lie in West-African high-life music and funk however, it has evolved into its own genre.
His political activism was fierce and frightened. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were bold critiques of Nigeria's regime. fela lawsuit settlements made use of Kalakuta as a platform to meet like-minded people and to promote political activism.
The play features a huge portrait featuring his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. 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 activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional medicine.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who utilized music to bring about political change. He is credited as the originator of afrobeat, an energetic mix of funk and traditional African rhythms. He was also a relentless critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.
Fela's mother was an anti-colonial suffragist, so it is not surprising that he has a love for social commentary and politics. His parents had hoped that he would eventually become a doctor however, he had other ideas.
While he began in a more apolitical highlife fashion, a trip in America could alter his perspective forever. The exposure to Black power movements and leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would influence 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 start an activist group known as the Movement of the People and write songs that reflected the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis - a form public speaking that he called "freedom expression". He also began to impose strict moral codes for his band, including refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.
After returning to Nigeria Fela started building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. Police and military officials were almost every day. Mosholashi-Idi-Oro's hangers-on repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). But despite this, Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music is a testament to his determination to challenge authority and demanding that the popular goals are manifested in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will be remembered for generations to be.
He was a poet
Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also snarkily mocked his audience, the government, and even 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 imprisoned. He was also beaten by the authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo which means "he carries his death in his bag."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies that obeyed orders without hesitation. This offended the military, which raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor apartment through a window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the decades that after the nation's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and the indigenous African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for betraying their country's traditions. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.
He was an artist of hip-hop.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music. He was influenced by jazz, rock, and roll as well as traditional African music, chants, and music. After a visit to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas have influenced his work.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. He criticized the government in his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights violations and was often detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, known as "igbo" in Africa. He held "yabis" (public discussions) at the 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 a harem of young women, who performed in his shows and also served 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 influenced generations of African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused to leave, despite being detained and tortured by the Nigerian military junta, as well being a witness to the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 from AIDS-related complications.
Fela was an activist in the political arena who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and believed in 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 decried Christianity and Islam as non-African imports, which have been used to divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from a 1978 album. It describes overcrowded public transports filled with people who are poor, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce enemy of religious hypocrisy. His dancers were a great complement to his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and elegant. Their contributions to the show were as important as Fela's words.
He was a political militant
Fela Kuti used music as a tool to confront unjust authorities. He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms making an ear that was ready for a fight. The majority of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly adding small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.
Fela was, unlike many artists who were scared to discuss their political views, was fearless and unbending. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was risky to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a fervent feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister, and the teacher's union president.
He also established Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an expression of resistance. The government seized the commune, destroying the property and injured Fela badly. He refused to relent, though and continued to voice his opinion against the government. He passed away in 1997 due to complications related to AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry on his musical and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen as a form of political protest, with artists using lyrics to solicit change. However, some of the most effective music-related protests don't rely on words in any way. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music still rings out to this day. He pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African harmonies and rhythms with jazz and funk, in the style of artists like James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and fought colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied marxism and believed in the idea of a Nigeria that served its the entire population.
Seun, Fela's Son, continues to carry on his father's legacy with a group dubbed Egypt 80. The band will be touring the globe this year. The Egyptian 80's music blends the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of the power structures that exist today. The new album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so big that police were forced to shut off the entrance to the venue.