Fela Kuti
Fela's life is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him so fascinating. People who love him will forgive the flaws in him.
His songs are often 20 minutes or more and are performed in a thick Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also includes jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to transform the world. His music was used to call for political, social and economic change. His influence can be evident even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However it has evolved into a completely new genre.
His political activism was fierce and fearless. He made use of his music to protest against corruption by the government and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were bold criticisms of Nigeria's dictatorship. He also referred to Kalakuta as a place to connect with like-minded individuals and to promote political activism.
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 plays her, and she does a great 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 be tested for AIDS. Instead she took traditional medicine.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who used music to effect political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.
Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mom and a feminist father, it's not a surprise that Fela was interested in political and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be an ophthalmologist however, he had other plans.
While he started in a more political highlife style, a trip to America would change his outlook forever. His music was profoundly affected by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted the Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a songwriter
While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experiences inspired him to establish an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his ideas on political activism and black consciousness. His philosophies were publicly expressed by yabis - a type of public speaking that he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to accept medication from Western-trained physicians.
After returning to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club The Shrine in Ikeja. The snares of military and police officials were almost daily. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity in spite of this. His music speaks to his determination to challenge authority and ensuring that the desires of the masses are recognized 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 highlight economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also made fun of his audience, government officials, and even himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick on the pond with the little fish." The authorities did not take his jokes lightly and he was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. He was also beaten by the authorities. He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo, which means "he carries death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to zombies who were able to follow orders without hesitation. This irritated the military who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor window.
In the years following the independence of Nigeria, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combined jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European culture imperialism and supported African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for betraying their country's traditions. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.
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 grew up listening to jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped form his unique style of music. After an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement, and her ideas impacted his work profoundly.
Fela's music was a political instrument after his return to Nigeria. He was critical of the government in his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be diluted by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human right violations. He was repeatedly detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" where he would ridicule officials of the government and share his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a harem of young women, who danced at his shows and also served as vocal backups to his vocalists.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion, taking elements from jazz, beat music and highlife to create his own distinct style. He influenced a generation African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused to leave, despite being interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta, as well being a witness to 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 endorsed the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both the government and colonial parties. He also pushed for black-power and decried Christianity, Islam and other non-African influences for dividing the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track of the album released in 1978. It is about overcrowded public buses filled with people who are poor, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce enemy of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was also complemented by his dancers, who were vibrant sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions to the show were as important as the words of Fela.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge the unjust authority. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms making music that was ready for fight. The majority of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding 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 up for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. 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 president of the teachers' union.
He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an expression of resistance. The government raided the Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications related to AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his legacy of music and politics.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act with musicians using lyrics to solicit change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations are not accompanied by words. fela lawyer is one of these artists and his music rings today. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which blends 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 was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should serve its entire population.
Seun, Fela's Son, is carrying the legacy of his father with a band named Egypt 80. The band will be touring the globe this year. The band's music blends the music and politics of Fela's era with a fervent denial of the same power structures that continue to exist today. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. A large number of fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge, that police had to block the entrance.