What's The Current Job Market For Fela Professionals Like?
Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full contradictions, which is part of what makes him so fascinating. People who love him will forgive the bad parts of him.
His songs typically last longer than 20 minutes and are performed in dense, almost unintelligible 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 the idea that music can be a tool for change. He used his music to advocate for social and political changes and his influence is still evident in the world of even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a completely new genre.
His political activism was intense and he took action without fear. He used his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were shrewd criticisms of Nigeria's government. He also made use of Kalakuta as a platform to meet like-minded people and to promote political activism.
The production includes a massive portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. She is portrayed by actress Shantel Cribbs, who successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her declining health she refused to be checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who utilized music to bring about changes in the political landscape. He is known for creating Afrobeat, a mix of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
His mother was an anti-colonial suffragist So it's not unusual that he is a fan for political commentary and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become a physician, but he had different plans.
A trip to America changed his perspective forever. The exposure to Black power movements and leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music. He adopted an African-centric philosophy which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a writer.
Fela was introduced to Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. This experience led him to start a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that reflected the thoughts he had about activism and black awareness. His ideas were expressed through the method of yabis, which is an art of public speaking which he dubbed "freedom of expression". He also started to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained physicians.
Fela returned to Nigeria and began to build his own club in Ikeja. The raids by officers and police were almost constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). However, Fela was a man of uncompromising integrity. His music demonstrates the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives. It is an amazing legacy that will be remembered for generations to be.
He was a poet
In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to discuss political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his audience, the government, and himself. During these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the pond with a little." These jokes were not viewed lightly by the authorities, and he suffered repeated arrests, imprisonments and beatings at the hands of authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo, which translates to "he has his death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he contrasted soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without asking questions. The military was irritated by this and seized Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor by the window.
In the decades following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for disrespecting their country's traditions. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.
He was an artist of hip-hop.
A trumpeter, saxophonist and 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 and also 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 were influential in his work.
The music of Fela became an instrument of political power upon his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government of his home country and also argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human right violations. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine where he would mock government officials and share his opinions on the freedom of expression as well as the beauty of women's body. Fela also had a group of young women who performed in his shows and served as vocal backups to him.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion. He combined elements of beat music, and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial ruling.
Despite being arrested and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and seeing his mother killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.
Fela was a prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported 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 of a 1978 album. It describes overcrowded public buses filled with people who are poor, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce anti-religious hypocrisy. The music of Fela was in turn complemented by his dancers, who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions were as important as Fela's lyrics.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge oppressive authority. He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, creating music that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little riffs, long-lined melody lines and other elements until they explode with urgency.
Unlike many artists, who were afraid to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was an avowed feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was both a protestant minister and the head of the teachers' union.
He also established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that was a symbol of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta's Republic, destroying property and severely injured Fela. He refused to give up and continued to speak out against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to carry on his music and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act and musicians use lyrics to solicit change. fela lawyer of the most powerful musical demonstrations aren't supported by words. Fela Kuti is one of these artists, and his music still is heard today. He pioneered Afrobeat, combining traditional African rhythms and harmonies, with funk and jazz, being influenced by artists such as James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and 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 served its entire population.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The Egypt 80's music combines the sounds of Fela and a scathing critique of the power structures that exist today. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans paid their respects at the funeral held in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge that the police had to block the entrance.