The 15 Things Your Boss Would Like You To Know You Knew About Fela
Fela Ransome-Kuti
In addition to being a musician, Fela was a political activist and a Pan-Africanist. He was a defender of African culture and was inspired by Black Power. He travelled to Ghana where he encountered new musical influences and a fresh direction for his music.
He wrote songs that were designed to be political slams against the Nigerian government and a global order that routinely exploited Africa. His music was radical and uncompromising.
Fela Ransome Kuti was born Abeokuta
In the 1970s and the 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his harsh style of music and rebellious political statements. Many of his songs were direct slams against the Nigerian government, particularly the military dictatorships that ran the country during those times. He also criticized fellow Africans for supporting these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was arrested, beaten and incarcerated numerous times. He once referred to himself as an "prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic" and founded his own political group called the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP).
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mother. She was a feminist leader and women's rights activist, known throughout the world. She was a teacher as well as a member of Abeokuta Women's Union. She also helped organize some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta.
fela claims railroad employees was a suffragist and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close relation of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA.
Ransome-Kuti was a staunch advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She was a strong supporter of socialism and Pan-Africanism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was also a part of the African Renaissance movement.
Fela's music was able, in spite of his opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to garner an international following. His music was a mixture of Afrobeats, jazz, and rock, heavily inspired by American jazz clubs. He was also a fervent anti-racist.
The Nigerian rebel Fela's revolt against the ruling party led to numerous arrests and beatings. This did not deter him from traveling the United States and Europe. In 1984, he again was beaten by the military and detained under dubious charges. Human rights groups from around the world intervened following the incident, and the government was forced to back down. Kuti however, he continued to record and perform until his death in 1998. He was buried at Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The city is now home to the Fela Museum.
He was a musician
A fervent Pan-Africanist, Fela was adamant about using his music as a method of social protest. He was a critic of the Nigerian Government while inspiring activists across the globe. Fela was a Nigerian born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, an anticolonialist who was a leader in the Nigerian women's movement. His mother was also a doctor and anti-colonialist, as were his grandparents. The main goal of Fela's life was to fight for the rights and freedoms of the oppressed.
Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958 after he dropped out of medical school in order to pursue his love of music. He began playing highlife, which is a popular music genre that blends traditional African rhythms with Western instruments, and jazz. He formed his first band in London and was able to perfect his abilities in the capital city of Europe. When he returned to Nigeria he created Afrobeat that combined danceable beats and lyrics written in agitprop. The new sound became popular in Nigeria and across the continent, becoming one of the most influential forms of African music.
The political activism of Fela in the 1970s led him into direct conflict with Nigerian regimes. The regime feared the power of his music to inspire people to take on their oppressors and overturn the status established order. Fela was adamant, despite numerous attempts to suppress his music, continued to create fierce and danceable music to the end of life. He passed away in 1997 due to complications arising from AIDS.
While Fela was alive, crowds of people were always out the door to catch him perform at his nightclub in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine. He also constructed the Kalakuta republic which was a commune that served as his recording studio and club. The commune was also used as a venue for political speeches. Fela criticised the Nigerian government as well as world leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and P.W. Botha, South African the South African Prime Minister. Botha.
His legacy lives on despite his death due complications caused by AIDS. His trailblazing Afrobeat sound continues to influence popular artists, such as Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, and Jay Z, who have mentioned him as an influencer. He was an enigmatic man who was a lover of music as well as fun and women. But his true legacy is his relentless efforts to fight for the marginalized.
He was a Pan-Africanist
The renowned Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a Pan-Africanist, bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people. He was a master at mixing African culture with American jazz and funk. He also utilized his music as a means to protest against Nigeria's oppressive government. He continued to speak out and fight for his beliefs, despite being arrested and beaten frequently.
Fela was born into the prestigious Ransome-Kuti family that included artists and anti-colonialists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist and educator and his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti, helped to form the teachers' union. He grew up singing and listening to the traditional tunes and rhythms of highlife - a mix of jazz standards, soul songs, and Ghanaian hymns. This musical heritage shaped the worldview of Fela, who was determined to bring Africa to the world, and the world to Africa.
In 1977, Fela recorded Zombie. The song contrasts the police with a mindless mass of people who would obey orders and brutalize the people. The track ticked off the military authorities, who surrounded his home and took over his home. They beat all of them, including Fela's wives and children. His mother was thrown from the window and died of injuries sustained during the subsequent attack.
The war was the catalyst for Fela's anti-government activism. He created an organization called the Kalakuta Republic, which doubled as an recording studio. He also formed an political party and separated from the Nigerian state and his songs became more centered on social issues. In 1979, he brought his mother's coffin into the headquarters of the ruling junta in Lagos and was then beaten.
Fela was a warrior who was fearless and never bowed to the status quo. He knew the injustice of fighting an ineffective and unjust power however he did not give up. He was the embodiment a spirit of indefatigability and, in this way, his story was truly heroic. He was a man who defied all odds and changed the course history. His legacy lives on to this day.
He died in 1997
The death of Fela was a devastating loss to his fans all over the world. Many thousands of people attended his funeral. He was aged 58 when he died. His family members claimed that he died due to heart failure that was caused by AIDS.
Fela played a significant role in the development and development of Afrobeat music which fuses traditional Yoruba rhythms and jazz with American funk. His political activism led him to be arrested and beaten by the Nigerian police. He refused to be silenced. He encouraged others to resist the corrupt regime of the Nigerian military regime and advocated Africanism. Fela had a significant influence on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue fighting for Africa.
In his later years Fela suffered from skin lesions and he lost weight drastically. These signs were an evident indication that he was suffering from AIDS. He was an AIDS disbeliever and refused treatment, but ultimately succumbed to the disease. Fela Kuti's legacy will live on for generations to come.
Kuti's music is a strong political statement that is a challenge to the status quo. He was a revolutionary who aimed to change the way Africans were treated. He made use of his music as a tool for social protest and was a fighter against colonialism. His music had a profound influence on the lives of many Africans, and he'll be remembered for that.

Fela worked with a variety of producers throughout his career to create his unique sound. One of these producers was EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell. His music was a mix of traditional African beats and American funk. This led to him having an international audience. He was a polarizing figure in the music industry and was often critical of Western culture.
Fela was well-known for his controversial music and life style. He smoked marijuana openly and had numerous affairs with women. Despite his extravagant lifestyle, he was an activist and struggled for the rights of the poor in Nigeria. His music had an impact on the lives of many Africans and inspired them to embrace their own culture.