Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full of contradictions, and that's part of what makes him captivating. People who love him forgive the bad parts of him.
His songs can last up to 20 minutes, and are performed in dense, almost unintelligible Pidgin English. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also blends jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be an instrument of change. His music was used to advocate for political, social and economic changes. His influence is evident today. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African high-life music and funk however, it has developed into its own genre.
His political activism was ferocious, and he acted without fear. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human right abuses. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were bold critiques of Nigeria's regime. He also referred to Kalakuta as a place to connect with like-minded individuals and to encourage political activism.
The production includes a massive portrait featuring his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs portrays her, and she does a fantastic job of capturing the importance she played in Fela's life. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatments.
He was a musician
The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who used his music to facilitate political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a fervent critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders.
Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela was interested in political and social commentary. His parents hoped that he would be a doctor however, he had other plans.
While he began in a more apolitical, highlife vein, a trip to America changed his outlook forever. His music was greatly influenced by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leaders like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would inform and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela met Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experience inspired him to form an activist group known as the Movement of the People and write songs that expressed the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly by yabis - a type of public speaking he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to establish an uncompromising code of ethics for his group, which included refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.
After his return to Nigeria Fela began building his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The snares of officers and police were nearly constant. Mosholashi-Idi-Oro's hangers-on repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Despite this Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music is a testament to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official objectives. It is an extraordinary legacy that will last for generations to be.
He was a poet
In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans as well as the government and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the small pond." The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was often detained and detained, as well as beaten 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 were able to follow orders without hesitation. The military was offended by the song and conducted a raid on 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.
In the decades after Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combined jazz and native African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticised fellow Africans for disrespecting 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 inspired by jazz, rock, and roll and also traditional African music as well as chants and music. After a visit to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas have influenced his work.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. 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. He was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.
Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, known as "igbo" in Africa. He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, called "yabis" where he would ridicule government officials and promote his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had an entourage of young women who danced at his shows and acted as vocal backups for him.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master at musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife to create his own unique style. He influenced a generation African musicians and was an outspoken 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 prominent political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on addressing oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also pushed for black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track of a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the overcrowded public buses packed with workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. The music of Fela was in turn complemented by his dancers who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions were just as important as Fela's lyrics.
He was an activist in the political arena.
Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge the unjust authority. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms and created an ear that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers melodies, riffs, long-lined melodies and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.
Fela like many artists who were afraid to discuss their political views was unflinching and uncompromising. fela railroad settlements stood in the cause he believed in, even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers union.
He also established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that grew into a symbol of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to give up and continued to speak against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often viewed by many as a political action. The lyrics of musicians are used to demand change. However, some of the most effective music-related protests don't rely on words at all. Fela Kuti is one of these artists and his music resonates today. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hip-hop and was influenced by artists such as James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a militant and unionist who stood up 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 be serving its entire population.
Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy, through a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of power structures that still exist in the present. Black Times will be released at the end March. Thousands of fans paid their respects at the funeral in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large that police had to block the entrance to the location.