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Fela Kuti
Fela is a man with contradictions. This is what makes him so fascinating. People who love him forgive the parts of him that aren't perfect.
His songs are often longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost impossible to understand. His music is inspired by Christian hymns, classical music, jazz, Yoruba chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be a tool for change. He made use of his music to push for political and social change, and his influence can be felt in the world even today. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a combination of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African high-life and funk However, it has since evolved into its own style.
His political activism was ferocious and unflinching. He used his music as a protest against government corruption and human right 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 an enclave for political activism and a gathering place for people who were like-minded.
The play features a huge portrait of his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs portrays her, and she does an excellent job of conveying her importance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her condition deteriorating, she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead, she chose 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 fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mom, it is no surprise that Fela was a fan of social commentary and politics. His parents believed that he would be a doctor however, he had other plans.
A trip to America changed his perspective forever. The exposure to Black political movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ideology that would inform and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela met Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experience inspired him to create a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that reflected the ideas he had about activism and black awareness. His philosophies were publicly expressed by yabis - a type of public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also began imposing an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained medical professionals.
Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. Raids from police and military officials were all the time. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drug particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela was a steadfast person despite this. His music is a testament to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official goals. It is a legacy that will last for generations.
He was a poet
In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to discuss political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick in the little pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was often detained, imprisoned, and beaten by the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo, meaning "he is carrying death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers to mindless zombies who followed orders without question. This irritated the military who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the decades that following the country's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with the indigenous African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and supported traditional African beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for disrespecting their country's tradition. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a hip-hop artist
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 and also traditional African music as well as 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 influenced his work.
Fela's music became an instrument of political power upon his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government of his native country, and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights violations, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis" which was where he would lampoon government officials and promote his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a group of young women who danced at his shows and acted 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 an outspoken critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused to be detained and tortured by the Nigerian military junta as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.
Fela was an activist for the political cause who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and embraced the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums such as 1973's Gentleman focused on fighting oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also advocated black power and criticised Christianity, Islam and other non-African influences for dividing the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from the album released in 1978. It describes crowded public buses full of people who are poor, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce anti-religious hypocrisy. The dancers of Fela were a great complement to his music. They were vibrant, sensual and regal. Their contributions were just as important as Fela's lyrics.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti utilized music as a way to challenge unjust authorities. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for battle. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding small riffs and melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor.
Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics, was fearless and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti, was an avowed feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's movement. His father was both a protestant minister, and the teacher's union president.
He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an expression of resistance. The government raided Kalakuta's Republic, destroying property and severely injured Fela. He refused to give up, however, and continued to speak against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. fela attorneys continues to carry on his legacy of music and politics.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act, and musicians use lyrics to call for change. But some of the most powerful musical protests don't use words at all. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music continues to ring out today. He pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and funk, inspired by artists like James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a militant 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 the idea of a Nigeria which served its all of its citizens.
Fela's son Seun continues his father's work, with 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 fervent denial of the same power structures that persist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Thousands of fans paid their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge that the police had to block the entrance.