15 Hot Trends Coming Soon About Fela Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's what makes him so fascinating. People who love him are able to accept his flaws.

His songs are often 20 minutes or more and are sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost impossible to understand. His music is inspired by Christian hymns, jazz, classical music, Yoruba singing, and horn-andguitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to transform the world. His music was used to call for political, social and economic reforms. His influence is still evident today. Afrobeat is a style of music that blends African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a new genre.

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

The production features a huge portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known activist and feminist pioneer. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs, who has successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also highlights on her political involvement. Despite her declining health, she refused to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.

He was a singer

Fela Ransome-Kuti was a complex man who employed his music to effect political change. He is renowned for his creation of Afrobeat, which is a blend of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.

Being raised by an anti-colonial feminist mother It's no surprise that Fela was interested in politics and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be an ophthalmologist, but he had different plans.

A trip to America changed his outlook forever. Exposure to Black power movements and leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He embraced a philosophy of Pan-Africanism, 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 a political movement called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that expressed his thoughts on black and political consciousness. His philosophies were expressed in public via the method of yabis, which is a form of public speaking is referred to as "freedom of expression". He also began to establish an uncompromising code of ethics for his group, which included refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.

Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. Police and military officials were every day. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela kept his integrity regardless of this. His music is a testament to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives. It is an influence that will last for generations.

He was a poet

Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also snarkily mocked his audience, government officials, and even himself. During these shows, he referred to himself as "the big dick in the little pond." These jokes were not taken lightly by the authorities and he suffered repeated arrests and beatings in the hands of authorities. He was eventually given the title Anikulapo which means "he is carrying his death in his bag."

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, which raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During fela lawsuits , the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.

In the years after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combines jazz and native African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans for disrespecting their country's traditions. He also 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 grew up listening to jazz, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped form his unique 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 profoundly.

Fela's music was a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria. He criticized 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 rights abuses and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa, which is known as "igbo". He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine, where he would ridicule government officials and spread his views on the freedom of expression as well as the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had an entourage of young women, who danced at his shows and served as vocal backups to his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements from beat music and highlife to create his own distinct style. He was a prominent African musician and a 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 of AIDS-related complications.

Fela was a well-known political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums including 1973's Gentleman, focused on fighting oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also pushed for black-power and decried Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports that divide the people of Africa. The title track from an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses filled with poor workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's dancers were also a great complement to his music. They were sensual, vibrant, and elegant. Their contributions to the performance were as significant as Fela's words.

He was a militant in the political arena.

Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge oppressive authorities. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African rhythms and modes, creating a sound that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers melodies, riffs, long-lined melodies and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy.

Contrary to the majority of artists, who were afraid to expose their political beliefs, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood for his beliefs even when it was risky to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a prominent feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers' union.

He also founded Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that was an emblem of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic and destroyed property, as well as injured Fela. He refused to give up and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who 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 call for change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations are not supported by words. Fela Kuti is one of these artists and his music rings today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat which combines traditional African harmonies and rhythms with funk and jazz, inspired by artists like James Brown.

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and fought 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 work, with 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 fervent denial of the same power structures that persist today. Black Times will be released by the end of March. A large number of fans attended the funeral and paid their respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so big that the police had to shut down the entrance.