Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full of contradictions, which is part of what makes him captivating. People who love him accept the bad parts of him.
His songs are often 20 minutes long or longer, and sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost unintelligible. His music is inspired by Christian hymns and jazz, classical music, Yoruba music, chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to influence the world. His music was used to advocate for social, political and economic change. His influence is felt to this day. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its origins lie in West-African high-life and funk However, it has since evolved into its own style.
His political activism was ferocious and unflinching. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were daring criticisms of the Nigerian regime. The residence he lived in, Kalakuta Republic, as an enclave for political activism and an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.
The production includes a massive portrait featuring his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a well-known feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does a fantastic job of conveying her importance in Fela's life. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to get tested for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatment.
He was a singer
Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who utilized music to bring about changes in the political landscape. He is credited with being the originator of afrobeat, an invigorating hybrid of funk, dirty and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mom, it is no surprise that Fela had a passion for politics and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become a physician but he had different plans.
A trip to America changed his perspective forever. The exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He developed the Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a music producer
Fela encountered Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experiences inspired him to establish an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his views on political activism and black consciousness. His ideas were expressed in public via the medium of yabis, an art of public speaking that was referred to as 'freedom of expression'. He also began to enforce an uncompromising code of ethics for his band, such as refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.
After returning to Nigeria Fela started building his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The frequent raids by police and military officials was nearly constant. Mosholashi-Idi-Oro's hangers-on repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially 'bana' and 'yamuna' (heroin). Fela kept his integrity despite this. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected 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 draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick in the little pond." The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was frequently detained, imprisoned, and beating by the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo, meaning "he has death in his pouch."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who obeyed orders without hesitation. The military was offended by this and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its residents. In the course of the raid, Fela's mother was thrown from her second-floor window.
Fela developed Afrobeat in the decades that following the nation's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with the indigenous African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and supported traditional African beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their nation's traditions. 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 heavily influenced by rock, jazz, and roll as well as traditional African music, chants, and music. After a trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas influenced 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 in his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be diluted by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about human rights violations and social injustices. rights abuses. He was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa, which is known as "igbo". He frequently held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, called "yabis", in which he would slam government officials and promote his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had Harems, an ensemble of young women who performed in his shows, and also backed his vocally.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion, taking elements from 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 tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta, as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died from complications due to AIDS in 1997.
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 the oppression of both government and colonial political parties. He also emphasized black power and criticised Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from an album from 1978. It is about overcrowded public buses full of working poor people, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce anti-religious hypocrisy. The dancers of Fela were an excellent complement to his music. They were vibrant, sensual and regal. Their contributions to the performances were as important as the words Fela used.
He was a militant in the political arena.
Fela Kuti was a militant who used music to challenge the unjust authority. fela law firm took his knowledge of American funk and jazz toward African styles and rhythms, creating music that is ready for battle. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then layering small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.
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. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers' union.
He also founded Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was a symbol of resistance. The government raided the Kalakuta Republic and destroyed property, as well as injured Fela. He refused to relent, though and continued to speak out against the government. He died in 1997 from complications related to AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his political and musical legacy.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act and musicians use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations aren't accompanied by words. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music continues to ring out to this day. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hip-hop and was inspired by artists like James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela's maternal grandmother, 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 was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should be serving its entire population.
Seun Fela's son is carrying on his father's legacy with the band Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The band's music blends the sounds and political stances of Fela's era with a searing denunciation of the same power structures that persist today. Black Times will be released at the end March. Many fans attended the funeral and paid their tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so large, that the police had to shut down the entrance.