Fela Kuti
Fela is a man with contradictions. That's why he's so intriguing. People who love him forgive the bad parts of him.
His songs typically last up to 20 minutes, and are sung in a thick, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to change the world. His music was used to argue for political, social and economic reforms. His influence can be evident to this day. Afrobeat is a musical style that combines 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 used his residence, Kalakuta Republic, as a hub for political activism as well as an area for gathering with like-minded individuals.
The production features a huge portrait of his late mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs who has successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also examines her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health, she refused to get tested for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.
He was a musician
The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who used his music as a tool for political change. He is known as the creator of afrobeat, an invigorating blend of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.
Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother, it is no surprise that Fela was interested in politics and social commentary. His parents believed that he would eventually become a doctor, but there were other goals for him.
While he started in a more apolitical highlife vein, a trip to America could alter his perspective forever. The music he composed was greatly affected by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leaders like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He developed a philosophy of Pan-Africanism, which would inform and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela met Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. This experience led him to create a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that expressed the ideas he had about activism and black awareness. His philosophies were publicly expressed through yabis - a form that he described as "freedom expression". He also began to establish a strict ethical code for his group, which included refusing to take medicine from Western-trained doctors.
After returning to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club The Shrine in Ikeja. The raids by military and police officials were nearly constant. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs, especially 'bana' and 'yamuna' (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity in spite of this. His music is a testament to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is an amazing legacy that will last for generations to be.
He was a poet
Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans, the government, and himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as "the big dick on the little pond." The authorities did not take his jokes lightly and he was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. He was also beating by the authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo, which means "he is carrying his death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who followed orders without question. This offended the military, which raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor apartment window.
In the years following the independence of Nigeria, Fela created Afrobeat, a genre of music that blended jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism and defended traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their country's traditions. He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.
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 influenced by rock, jazz, and roll and also traditional African music, chants, and music. After a trip to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas influenced his work.
When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. He criticized the government in his home country and insisted that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about societal injustices and human rights violations and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa that is also known as "igbo". He held "yabis" (public discussions) at Afrika Shrine, where he would ridicule officials of the government and share his opinions on freedom of expression and beauty of women's bodies. Fela had an harem, which was which was a group of women who performed at his shows and supported his vocally.
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 influenced generations of African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused to be tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta, as well being a witness to the murder of his mother. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was a prominent political activist who criticized the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums including 1973's Gentleman, focused on the issue of oppression by both colonial and government 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 an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the overcrowded public buses filled with poor workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. His dancers were a great complement to his music. They were sensual, vibrant, and regal. Their contributions to the performance were as significant as Fela's words.
He was an activist for the political cause.
Fela Kuti utilized music as a tool to challenge oppressive authorities. He took his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African patterns and rhythms, resulting in an edgy sound that was prepared for battle. Most of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly adding short-lined melodies and riffs until they explode in a flash of vigor.
Unlike many artists, who were hesitant to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood in his convictions even when it was risky to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a fervent feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers union.
He also established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that became a symbol of the resistance. The government raided the commune, degrading the property and hurting Fela badly. He refused to give up however and continued to speak out against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry on his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often seen as a political act and musicians use lyrics to demand change. But some of the most effective musical protests don't use words at all. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music still rings out today. fela lawsuit settlements pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with funk and jazz, inspired by artists like James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti, was an activist and unionist who was a fighter against 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 serve its whole population.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music is a blend of the sounds and political stances of Fela's time with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that are still in place today. Black Times will be released by the end of March. Many fans paid their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large, that the police had to shut down the entrance.