How To Outsmart Your Boss Fela
Fela Kuti
Fela is a man with contradictions. That's why he's so fascinating. People who love him accept the bad parts of him.
His songs are usually 20 minutes or more and are performed in a thick Pidgin English that is almost impossible to understand. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also includes jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to influence the world. His music was used to argue for social, political and economic reforms. His influence is evident even today. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a brand new genre.
His political activism was fierce and he did it without fear. He made use of his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were provocative critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as an opportunity to meet like-minded people.
The play features a huge portrait featuring his late mother 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 highlights her political activism. Despite her declining health she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead she took traditional treatment.
fela case settlements was a singer
Fela Ransome-Kuti was a complex musician who used his music to effect political change. He is renowned for his creation of Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.
Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mom It's no surprise that Fela was a fan of politics and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become medical doctor however, he had other plans.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. His music was profoundly affected by his exposure to Black Power movements and leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted the Pan-Africanism philosophy, that would influence and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela met Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experience inspired him to create an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that expressed his thoughts on political activism and black consciousness. His philosophical ideas were aired through the method of yabis, which is a form of public speaking that is referred to as "freedom of expression". He also began to enforce strict moral codes for his band, such as refusing to use medicine from Western-trained doctors.
Fela returned to Nigeria and began to build his own club in Ikeja. The frequent raids by military and police officials were nearly constant. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs, especially the 'yamuna' and 'bana' (heroin). Fela kept his integrity regardless of this. His music is a testimony to his determination in challenging authority and demanding that the popular goals are reflected in official goals. It is an extraordinary legacy that will endure for generations to be.
He was a poet
Fela's music used sarcasm and humor to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. In these shows, he referred to himself as "the big dick in the little pond." These jokes were not taken lightly by the authorities and he was frequently arrested and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo, which means "he is carrying his death in his bag."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies that obeyed orders without hesitation. The military was offended by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its inhabitants. During the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.
In the years after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that blended jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism and supported traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their country's traditions. He stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a rapper
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a saxophonist and trumpeter, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He was inspired 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 influenced his work.
Fela's music was a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government of his home country and also argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses and was often detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, referred to as "igbo" in Africa. He held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine where he would ridicule officials of the government and share his opinions on freedom of expression and beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a harem of young women who performed at his shows and also served as vocal backups for him.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master at musical fusion. He incorporated elements of beat music, and highlife into his own unique style. He was a renowned African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Despite being snatched and tortured by the Nigerian military junta, and witnessing his mother be killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was a prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed 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 criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track of the album from 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses full of poor people "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His music was also complemented by his dancers who were lively elegant, sensual, and beautiful. Their contributions to the performance were as significant as the words Fela used.
He was a political militant
Fela Kuti utilized music as a way to challenge unjust authorities. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, creating an ear that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly layering small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.
Fela like many artists who were afraid to discuss their political views was unflinching and uncompromising. He stood in the cause he believed in even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a prominent feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was both a protestant minister, and the head of the teachers' union.
He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an expression of resistance. The government seized the commune, destroying the property and injuring Fela severely. He refused to give up, though, and continued to protest against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen as a form of political protest, with musicians using lyrics to solicit change. However, some of the most effective music-related protests don't rely on words at all. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music continues to ring out to this day. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop that was influenced by artists such as James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist who 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 was serving its the entire population.
Seun Fela's Son is carrying the legacy of his father with the band Egypt 80. The band is touring the world in this year. The band's music is a blend of the music and politics of Fela's era with a fervent denial of the same power structures that persist in the present. The new album, Black Times, will be released in March. Many fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that the police had to block the entrance.