Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him so captivating. People who love him are able to accept his flaws.
His songs typically last 20 minutes or more, and are performed in thick, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. 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 change the world. He used his music to advocate for changes in the political and social spheres, and his influence is present in the world in the present. Afrobeat is a musical style that combines 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 ferocious, and he acted without fear. He made use of his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were bold critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also used Kalakuta as a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and to encourage political activism.
The play features a large portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a prominent feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement. Shantel Cribbs portrays her, and she does a great job of expressing her significance in the life of Fela. The play also explores on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating condition she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional treatments.
He was a singer
Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted man who employed his music to facilitate political change. He is credited as the creator of afrobeat, an invigorating blend of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.
Having been raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela was a fan of social commentary and politics. His parents wanted him to be a physician, but he had different plans.
While he started in a more political highlife vein, 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 impact on his music. He adopted an African-centric philosophy which 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 start an organization called the Movement of the People and compose songs that reflected the thoughts that he held about political activism and black awareness. His ideas were expressed publicly through yabis, a form of public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also began imposing an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained medical professionals.
After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. The frequent raids by police and military officials was nearly constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela was a steadfast person in spite of this. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives. It is a remarkable legacy that will be remembered for generations to be.
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 ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick in the small pond." The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was often detained, imprisoned, and beaten by the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo which translates to "he has death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who were able to follow orders without hesitation. The military was irritated by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor apartment window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that after the country's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and native African rhythm. His songs attacked European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their country's traditions. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
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 grew up listening to jazz and rock and roll, as well as traditional African music and chants, which influenced his style of music. After his trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement, and her ideas impacted his work in a profound way.
The music of Fela became an instrument of political power upon his return to Nigeria. He criticized the government of his home country and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights abuses, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa and is referred to as "igbo". He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" where he would ridicule government officials and spread his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had Harems, an ensemble of young women who performed in his shows and backed his 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 influenced a generation of African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Despite being snatched and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and witnessing his mother murdered, Fela refused to leave the country. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was a prominent political activist who criticized the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the ideals of Pan Africanism. railroad injury fela lawyer as 1973's Gentleman focused on the issue of oppression by both government bodies and colonial parties. He also emphasized black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. The title track on an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses packed with workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His music was in turn complemented by his dancers who were lively sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions were just as important as Fela’s words.
He was a political militant
Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge oppressive authorities. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms making a sound that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin as slow instrumentals, gradually layering little riffs and long-lined melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.
Unlike many artists, who were hesitant to speak out about their politics, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood up for what he believed in even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president 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 Republic and destroyed property, as well as injured Fela. He refused to give up, though and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications arising from AIDS. 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 by many as a form of political protest. The lyrics of musicians are used to call for a change. However, some of the most effective music-related protests do not use words at all. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music continues to ring out to this day. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop, inspired by artists like James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a militant and unionist who stood up against colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied Marxism and believed that Nigeria should be serving its entire population.
Fela's son Seun continues 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 persist today. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large, that police had to block the entrance.