10 Things You Learned From Kindergarden To Help You Get Started With Fela
Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full of contradictions, and that's a large part of what makes him captivating. People who love him forgive the flaws in him.
His songs often run for longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a dense, almost unintelligible Pidgin English. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be a tool for change. His music was used to argue for social, political and economic reforms. His influence can be felt even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African hip-life music and funk however, it has evolved into a distinct genre.
His political activism was fierce, and he acted without fear. He used his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring criticisms of the Nigerian regime. He also used his residence, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as a gathering place for like-minded individuals.
The play features a huge portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and she does a fantastic job of capturing the importance she played in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating condition, she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead she opted for traditional medicine.
He was a singer
Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted man who used his music to facilitate political change. He is credited as the creator of afrobeat. It was an energetic mix of funk, dirty and traditional African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Having been raised by an anti-colonial feminist mother, it is no surprise that Fela was a fan of social commentary and politics. His parents believed that he would eventually become a doctor but he had other ideas.
While he initially sounded in a more apolitical, highlife style, a trip to America could alter his perspective forever. The exposure to Black power movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound influence on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos that 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 create an organization called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that expressed his thoughts about black activism and political consciousness. His ideas were expressed through the way of yabis, which is a form of public speaking which was referred to as "freedom of expression". He also began to establish a strict ethical code for his group, which included refusing to use medication from Western-trained doctors.
After his return to Nigeria Fela began building his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The police and military officials were almost constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with hard drug particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela kept his integrity despite this. His music demonstrates the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official objectives. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.
He was a poet
Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans as well as the government and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the pond with the little fish." The authorities took his jokes lightly, and he was often detained and detained, as well as beating by the authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo which means "he carries his death in his bag."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he contrasted soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without question. The military was irritated by this and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor window.
In the decades following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combines jazz and native African rhythm. His songs attacked European culture imperialism and supported African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for betraying the traditions of their homeland. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.
He was a rapper
A saxophonist, trumpeter, 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 an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement, and her ideas impacted his work dramatically.
Fela's music became a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He criticised the government of his native country, and argued against Western sensibilities affecting African culture. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights abuses and was often detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa and is referred to as "igbo". He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine, where he would ridicule government officials and express his views on freedom of expression and beauty of women's body. Fela also had a group of young women who performed in his shows and served as vocal backups for 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 leading African musician and vocal critic of colonial ruling.
Despite being snatched and tortured by the Nigerian military junta, and witnessing his mother be killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died from complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was a prominent political activist who criticized the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on the issue of oppression by both government bodies and colonial parties. He also advocated black power and criticized Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports that divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track of an album from 1978. It is about overcrowded public buses full of people who are poor, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce enemy of religious hypocrisy. The music of Fela was also complemented by his dancers, who were vibrant elegant, sensual, and beautiful. Their contributions to the performance were as significant as the words of Fela.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti utilized music as a weapon to confront unjust authorities. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African patterns and rhythms, creating music that is ready for a fight. The majority of his songs start as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little notes, riffs and other elements until they explode with urgency.
Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to expose their political beliefs, Fela 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 was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers union.
He also founded Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government raided the commune, destroying the property and injured Fela badly. He refused to give up however and continued to speak out against the government. He died in 1997 from complications caused by AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen as a political act with musicians using lyrics to call for change. However, fela accident attorney of the most effective musical protests don't use words in any way. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music is still ringing out to this day. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with hip-hop and jazz that was inspired by artists like James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-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 that served its all of its citizens.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy through a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music is a blend of the sounds and political stances of Fela's era with a fervent denial of the same power structures that persist today. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans attended the funeral and paid their tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so big, that police had to block the entrance.