Fela Kuti
Fela's life is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him captivating. People who love him will overlook his shortcomings.
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 and classical music, jazz, Yoruba singing, and horn-andguitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to change the world. His music was used to advocate for social, political and economic change. His influence is evident today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music as well as funk. However it has evolved into a new genre.
His political activism was intense and he did it without fear. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were shrewd criticisms of Nigeria's dictatorship. He also used Kalakuta as a place to connect with like-minded individuals and to encourage political activism.
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. Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does a great job of conveying her importance in the life of Fela. The play also examines her political activism. Despite her condition deteriorating she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional medicine.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex person who utilized music to bring about political change. He is famous for his work on afrobeat - a fusion of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela had a passion for political and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be an ophthalmologist, but he had different plans.
While he began in a more apolitical, highlife style, a trip to America would change his outlook forever. The exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound influence on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism 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 such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experience inspired him to start an activist group known as the Movement of the People and compose songs that reflected the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophies were publicly expressed through yabis - a form that he described as "freedom expression". He also started to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept medication from Western-trained doctors.
Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja. Raids from police and military officials were constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area around the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Despite this Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music is a testament of his determination to challenge authority and demanding that popular ambitions are reflected in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will last for generations to come.
He was a poet
In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to highlight economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also poked fun at his audience, the government, and even himself. In these shows, he referred to himself as "the big fish in the small pond." These jokes were not accepted lightly by the authorities and he was frequently arrested, imprisonments and beatings at the hands of the authorities. He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo, meaning "he carries death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he contrasted soldiers with brainless zombies that followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its inhabitants. During the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown from her second-floor window.
In the years following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that blended jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and supported traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans who violated their nation's traditions. He emphasized the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a rapper
A trumpeter, saxophonist, composer, and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was inspired by jazz, rock, and roll as well as traditional African music, chants, and 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.
Fela's music was a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government in his home country and argued that African culture should not be diluted by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights violations, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa and is referred to as "igbo". He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" where he would lampoon government officials and spread his views on freedom of expression and the 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 him.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion, combining elements from jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a prominent African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused to leave, despite being interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.
Fela was a well-known political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on fighting oppression from both colonial and
accidentinjurylawyers government parties. He also promoted black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track on an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the overcrowded public buses packed with workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was also complemented by his dancers, who were lively sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions were as important as Fela's lyrics.
He was a militant in the political arena.
Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge oppressive authorities. He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms making a sound that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then layering small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.
Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to speak out about their politics, 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 both a protestant minister, and the head of the teachers' union.