Fela Kuti
Fela is a man with contradictions. That's what makes him so intriguing. fela settlements who love him are able to overlook his shortcomings.
His songs are often 20 minutes or more and are sung in a slurred Pidgin English that is almost impossible to understand. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be an instrument of change. He used his music to advocate for changes in the political and social spheres, and his influence is felt in the world in the present. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a brand new genre.
His political activism was ferocious and unflinching. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs such as "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were blatant criticisms of Nigeria's government. The residence he lived in, Kalakuta Republic, as an area for political activism as well as a gathering place for like-minded people.
The production includes a massive portrait of his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and she does a fantastic job of expressing her significance in the life of Fela. The play also explores her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health, she refused to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional medicine.
He was a musician
Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who utilized music to bring about political change. He is credited as the creator of afrobeat. It was an energetic mix of funk, dirty and traditional African rhythms. He was also a constant critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.
Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mother It's no surprise that Fela was interested in social commentary and politics. His parents wanted him to become an ophthalmologist, but he had different plans.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. The exposure to Black political movements and leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos, which would inform and guide his later work.
He was a songwriter
Fela encountered Black Power activists like 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 ideas on political activism and black consciousness. His ideas were expressed through the medium of yabis, an art of public speaking was referred to as 'freedom of expression'. He also started to impose an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained medical professionals.
Fela returned to Nigeria and began to build his own club in Ikeja. The snares of military and police officials were almost daily. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity despite this. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.
He was a poet
Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also snarkily mocked his audience, government officials, and even himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the pond with the little fish." The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was often detained and detained, as well as beaten by the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo which translates to "he is carrying death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela recorded a song called "Zombie," which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who obeyed orders without hesitation. The military was offended by the song who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, her mother was thrown out of her second-floor window.
Fela developed Afrobeat during the years that following the country's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz with indigenous African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their country's traditions. He emphasized 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 grew up with jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants which helped form his style of music. After a visit to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas were influential in his work.
When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticised the government of his home country, and argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa, which is known as "igbo". He held "yabis" (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine where he would mock government officials and express 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 as well as backing his vocally.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements from jazz, beat music and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a prominent African musician and vocal critic of colonial rule.
Fela refused, despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta, as well as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.
Fela was a well-known political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the ideals of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on addressing oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also pushed for 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 describes crowded public transports filled with poor workers, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was also complemented by his dancers who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the performances were as important as Fela's words.
He was a political activist
Fela Kuti used music as a tool to challenge unjust authorities. He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms making a sound that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers notes, riffs and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.
Fela was, unlike many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics He was adamant and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in, even when it was risky. 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 founded Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to relent however and continued to protest against the government. He died 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 seen as a political act with musicians using lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations aren't accompanied by words. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music still rings out today. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with hip-hop and jazz, being influenced by artists like James Brown.
Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a militant 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 was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should be serving its all citizens.
Seun Fela's Son continues to carry the legacy of his father through the band Egypt 80. The band is on tour around the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sounds of Fela and a scathing critique of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so huge that police had to block the entrance to the venue.