Ten Things You Need To Be Aware Of Fela

Fela Kuti

Fela is a man with contradictions. This is what makes him so intriguing. People who love him will forgive the parts of him that aren't perfect.

His songs can last longer than 20 minutes and are performed in dense, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to transform the world. His music was used to argue for social, political and economic change. His influence can be felt today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots lie in West-African hip-life music and funk However, it has since evolved into its own genre.

His political activism was ferocious and he took action without fear. He made use of his music to protest government corruption and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also used Kalakuta as a place to gather like-minded people and to encourage political activism.

The play features a huge portrait featuring his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs, who successfully communicated her importance in the life of Fela. The play also explores on her political involvement. Despite her deteriorating condition, she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead she took traditional treatments.

He was a musician

The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who used his music as a tool for political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, which is a blend of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.

Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela was interested in social commentary and politics. His parents believed that he would be a doctor, but there were other goals for him.

While he initially sounded in a more apolitical, highlife fashion, a trip in America could alter his perspective forever. His music was greatly influenced by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leadership like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would guide and inform his later work.

He was a writer.

Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. This led him to start an organization called the Movement of the People and create songs that expressed the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His ideas were expressed publicly by yabis - a type of public speaking that he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to impose an uncompromising code of ethics for his group, which included refusing to receive medicine from Western-trained doctors.

After his return to Nigeria Fela began building his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The raids by military and police officials were almost daily. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with hard drug particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Despite this Fela kept his integrity unshaken. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is a remarkable legacy that will be remembered for generations to be.

He was a poet

In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to highlight economic and political 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 small pond." The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was frequently detained and detained, as well as beat by the authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo which means "he carries his death in his pouch."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without any question. This offended the military, which raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. In the course of the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.

In the years after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticised fellow Africans for betraying their country's tradition. He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.

He was an artist of hip-hop.

A trumpeter, saxophonist, composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was influenced 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 have influenced his work.

Fela's music was a political instrument after his return to Nigeria. He criticised the government of his native country, and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights violations, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.

Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He held "yabis" (public discussions) at Afrika Shrine where he would mock government officials and share his opinions on freedom of expression and beauty of women's bodies. Fela had an harem, which was a group of young women who performed at his shows and supported him vocally.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion, combining elements from jazz, beat music and highlife to create his own unique style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial ruling.

Fela refused to be tortured and arrested 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 principles Pan Africanism. His albums including 1973's Gentleman focused on addressing oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also promoted black-power and decried Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports that divide the people of Africa. The title track on a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses full of poor people "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. The dancers of Fela were an excellent complement to his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and elegant. Their contributions were as important as Fela's lyrics.

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge unjust authorities. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for a fight. Most of his songs begin with 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 publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood up for what he believed in even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a fervent feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers union.

He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was a symbol of resistance. The government seized the commune, degrading the property and injuring Fela severely. fela railroad accident lawyer refused to give up, however and continued to speak out against the government. He died in 1997 from complications caused by AIDS. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often seen as a form of political protest, and musicians use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not accompanied by words. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music still rings out today. He pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African harmonies and rhythms with jazz and funk, inspired by artists like 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 was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should be serving its all citizens.

Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy, through the band Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music blends the music and politics of Fela's day with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that are still in place today. Black Times will be released by the end of March. Many fans attended the funeral in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large that police were forced to shut off the entrance to the venue.