15 Of The Most Popular Fela Bloggers You Must Follow Fela Kuti

The life of Fela is full contradictions, and that's a large part of what makes him so captivating. People who love him are able to overlook his shortcomings.

His songs are typically 20 minutes long or longer and are performed in a dense Pidgin English that is almost unintelligible. His music is inspired by Christian hymns, jazz, classical music, Yoruba music, 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 used his music to advocate for political and social change and his influence can be evident in the world of in the present. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African high-life music and funk however, it has evolved into its own style.


His political activism was fierce and fearless. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also made use of Kalakuta as a place to gather like-minded people and to promote political activism.

The production includes a massive portrait featuring 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 expressing her significance in the life of Fela. The play also examines her political activism. Despite fela case settlements declining health she refused to be tested for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatment.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome-Kuti was a multifaceted man who employed his music as a tool for political change. He is famous for his work on afrobeat - a fusion of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

His mother was a suffragist who was anti-colonial, so it is not surprising that he is a fan for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become a physician but he had different plans.

While he started in a more apolitical highlife fashion, a trip in America would change his outlook 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. This experience led him to start an activist group known as the Movement of the People and create songs that reflected the thoughts that he held about political activism and black awareness. His ideas were expressed in public via the method of yabis, which is an art of public speaking which was referred to as "freedom of expression". He also began to impose a strict ethical code for his band, such as refusing to receive medication from Western-trained doctors.

Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja. The snares of police and military officials was nearly constant. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially the 'yamuna' and 'bana' (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity in spite of this. His music is a testament to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official objectives. 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 mocked his fans, the government, and himself. In these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the pond with a little." These jokes were not taken lightly by the authorities and he was repeatedly detained and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo which translates to "he is carrying death in his bag."

In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to zombies who were able to follow orders without hesitation. The military was offended by the song and they raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor through a window.

Fela developed Afrobeat during the years that followed Nigeria's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their country's traditions. He emphasized the importance of human rights and freedom.

He was a hip-hop artist

A saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up with jazz, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped form his style of music. After a trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work dramatically.

Fela's music became 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 societal injustices and human rights violations and was often detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela also advocated for the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine where he would ridicule government officials and express his views on the freedom of expression as well as the beauty of women's body. Fela also had a harem of women in his youth, who performed in his shows and served as vocal backups for his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife into his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule.

Fela refused to leave, despite being 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 was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 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 imports that divide the people of Africa. The title track on the album from 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. The dancers of Fela were an excellent match for his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and elegant. Their contributions were as significant as Fela’s words.

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti utilized music as a way to challenge oppressive authorities. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African modes and rhythms, resulting in music that is ready for a fight. The majority of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly layering small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.

Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to speak out about their politics, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a prominent 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 established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that became an emblem of the resistance. The government seized the commune, degrading the property and injured Fela severely. He refused to give up, however, and continued to speak against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often viewed by many as a form of political protest. Musicians use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not supported by words. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music continues to ring out today. He pioneered Afrobeat, combining traditional African rhythms and harmonies, with funk and jazz inspired by artists like James Brown.

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and opposed colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied Marxism and believed Nigeria should be serving its whole population.

Seun, Fela's Son, continues to carry the legacy of his father with the band Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The band's music blends the sounds and political stances of Fela's day with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that persist today. Black Times will be released at the end March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid their respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that police were forced to block the entrance to the venue.