5 Laws That Anyone Working In Fela Should Be Aware Of Fela Kuti

Fela is a man with contradictions. That's why he's so intriguing. People who love him forgive the parts of him that aren't perfect.

His songs can last 20 minutes or more, and are sung in dense, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced 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 is a tool for change. His music was used to advocate for social, political and economic reforms. His influence can be evident today. Afrobeat is a musical style that combines African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African high-life and funk, but it has since developed into its own genre.

His political activism was fierce and fearless. He utilized his music as a 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 government. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism and an area for gathering with like-minded people.

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 communicated her importance in the life of Fela. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional medicine.

He was a singer

The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who used his music to facilitate political change. He is famous for his work on Afrobeat, which is a blend of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was also a constant critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.

Fela's mother was an anti-colonial suffragist So it's not surprising that he has a passion for social commentary and politics. His parents wanted him to become an ophthalmologist however, he had other plans.

A trip to America changed his outlook forever. Exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound influence on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would influence 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 experiences inspired him to establish an organization called the Movement of the People, and to write songs that reflected his ideas about black activism and political consciousness. His philosophies were expressed through the medium of yabis, an art of public speaking that he dubbed 'freedom of expression'. He also began to impose strict moral codes for his band, such as refusing to take medicine from Western-trained doctors.

After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. Police and military officials were almost all the time. fela railroad settlements -Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Despite this Fela kept his integrity unshaken. His music speaks of his determination to challenge authority and ensuring that the desires of the masses are manifested in official goals. It is an influence 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 audience, the government, and himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick in the little pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly, and he was often detained and detained, as well as beat by the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo, which means "he is carrying death in his bag."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers to brainless zombies that followed orders without question. The military was irritated by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown from her second-floor window.

In the years following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combined jazz and traditional African rhythm. His songs criticised European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who violated their country's traditions. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was a hip-hop artist

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He was inspired by jazz, rock, and roll as well as traditional African music as well as 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 impacted his work in a profound way.

Upon his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticized the government of his native country and argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, known as "igbo" in Africa. He also held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine, where he would ridicule officials of the government and spread his views regarding freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had Harems, a group of young women who performed at his shows, and also backed his vocally.


He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own unique style. He influenced generations of African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule.

Fela refused to leave, despite being detained and tortured 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 prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on addressing oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also promoted black-power and criticised Christianity, Islam and other non-African imports that divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from an album from 1978. It describes overcrowded public buses full of poor workers, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce anti-religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was enhanced by his dancers, who were vibrant, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the performances were as important as the words of Fela.

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge oppressive authority. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African patterns and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for a fight. Most of his songs start as simmering instrumentals, slowly layering little riffs and long-lined melodies until they burst with urgency.

Fela like many artists who were scared to discuss their political beliefs, was fearless and unbending. He stood in his convictions 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 the teacher's union president.

He also founded Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that was a symbol of the resistance. The government raided the Kalakuta Republic, destroying property and severely injured Fela. He refused to give up and continued to speak out 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 artists using lyrics to solicit change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not supported by words. Fela Kuti is one of these artists, and his music still is heard today. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop and was being influenced by artists like James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a militant 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 that served its entire population.

Seun Fela's Son continues to carry the legacy of his father with a group dubbed Egypt 80. The band will be touring the globe this year. The Egyptian 80's music blends the sound of Fela and a scathing critique of power structures that still exist in the present. The album, Black Times, will be released in March. Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large that police were forced to shut off the entrance to the venue.