There Is No Doubt That You Require Fela Fela Kuti

The life of Fela is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him captivating. People who love him forgive the flaws in him.

His songs are usually 20 minutes or more and are performed in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced by Christian hymns, classical music, jazz, Yoruba music, chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to transform the world. He made use of his music to push for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is still present in the world even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music as well as funk. However it has evolved into a completely new genre.

His political activism was ferocious and unflinching. He used his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses. Songs such as "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring criticisms of the Nigerian regime. He also made use of Kalakuta as a place to meet like-minded people and to encourage political activism.

The play features a large portrait of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known feminist activist and feminist pioneer. She is portrayed by actress Shantel Cribbs, who has successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political involvement. Despite her deteriorating health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.

He was a singer

Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex person who used music to effect changes in the political landscape. He is renowned for his creation of afrobeat - a fusion of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was also a relentless critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

Fela's mother was a suffragist against colonialism and it's not unusual that he is a fan for political commentaries and social commentary. His parents believed that he would be a doctor but he had other ideas.

While he started in a more apolitical highlife style, a trip to America changed his outlook forever. The music he composed was greatly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ideology, which would inform and guide his later work.

He was a writer

Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experiences inspired him to establish an organization called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his ideas on black and political consciousness. His philosophies were expressed in public through the medium of yabis, a form of public speaking which is referred to as "freedom of expression". He also began to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained medical professionals.


Fela returned to Nigeria and began to build his own club in Ikeja. Raids from police and military officials were every day. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). However, Fela was a man of uncompromising integrity. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official objectives. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.

He was a poet

In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to highlight economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also poked fun at his audience, the government, and even himself. He referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the little pond." The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was repeatedly arrested, imprisoned, and beat by the authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo, which means "he has his body in his purse."

In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song and seized Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor apartment window.

Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that after the nation's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans for betraying the traditions of their homeland. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.

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 was inspired by rock, jazz, and roll and also traditional African music, chants, and music. After his trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas influenced his work profoundly.

When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. He was critical of the government in his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of military.

Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" which was where he would lampoon officials of the government and share his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had an harem, which was an ensemble of young women who performed at his shows, and also supported his vocally.

He was a dancer

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

Fela refused to be interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta, as well having witnessed the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 from AIDS-related complications.

Fela was a well-known political activist who criticized the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on addressing oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also emphasized black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports, which have been 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 full of poor people "shuffering and shmiling." fela lawsuits was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was in turn complemented by his dancers, who were lively sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions to the show were as significant as the words Fela used.

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti utilized music as a weapon to challenge oppressive authorities. He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms and created music that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers melodies, riffs, long-lined melodies and other elements until they explode with urgency.

Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to discuss their political views was unflinching and uncompromising. He stood in his convictions even when it was risky to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a prominent feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers union.

He also founded Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government seized the commune, destroying the property and injured Fela badly. He refused to give up and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications caused by AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry on his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often thought of as a political act, with artists using lyrics to solicit change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not supported by words. Fela Kuti is among the artists mentioned above, and his music still resonates today. He pioneered Afrobeat, combining traditional African harmonies and rhythms with jazz and funk, in the style of artists like James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti, was an activist and unionist who fought against colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied marxism and believed in a Nigeria which served its entire population.

Seun Fela's Son is carrying the legacy of his father with the band Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The Egypt 80's music combines the sound of Fela with a sharp critique of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released by the end of March. A large number of fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large that the police had to shut down the entrance.