Fela Kuti
The life of Fela is full contradictions, and that's a large part of what makes him so captivating. People who love him can overlook his shortcomings.
His songs often run for 20 minutes or more, and are performed in dense, almost unintelligible Pidgin English. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.
He was a musician
Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to change the world. He made use of his music to push for social and political changes, and his influence is present in the world even today. His style of music, Afrobeat, is a blend of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African hip-life music and funk, but it has since developed into its own style.
His political activism was fierce and he took action without fear. He made use of his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights violations. Songs such as "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were bold critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also referred to Kalakuta as a platform to gather like-minded people and to promote political activism.
The production includes a massive portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and she does an excellent job of capturing the importance she played in the life of Fela. The play also focuses her political activism. Despite her deteriorating condition she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead she took traditional medicine.
He was a singer
The Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who used his music as a tool for political change. He is known as the originator of afrobeat, an invigorating blend of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was also a constant critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.
Having been raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother and a feminist father, it's not a surprise that Fela was interested in social commentary and politics. His parents had hoped that he would be a doctor however, there were other goals for him.
A trip to America changed his outlook forever. His music was greatly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leadership like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He embraced an African-centric philosophy which would guide and inform his later work.
He was a writer
While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experience inspired him to start an organization called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that reflected his views on political activism and black consciousness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis, a form of that he described as "freedom expression". He also began to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained medical professionals.
After his return to Nigeria Fela started building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. The snares of police and military officials was almost daily. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs, including the 'yamuna' and 'bana' (heroin). But despite this, Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought 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
Fela's music used sarcasm and humor to bring attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience, the government, and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as "the big dick on the little pond." The authorities did not take his jokes lightly, and he was frequently detained, imprisoned, and beaten by the authorities. He eventually renamed himself Anikulapo, meaning "he is carrying death in his pocket."
In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers with mindless zombies who followed orders without asking questions. The military was irritated by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor by the window.
Fela developed Afrobeat during the years that following Nigeria's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that blends jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for disrespecting the traditions of their homeland. He emphasized the importance of freedom and human rights.
He was a hip-hop artist
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a saxophonist and trumpeter, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music. He was influenced by jazz, rock, and roll and also traditional African music as well as 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 impacted his work in a profound way.
The music of Fela became a political instrument after his return to Nigeria. He criticized the government of his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses. He was frequently detained for his criticism of military.
Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa and is referred to as "igbo". He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, also known as "yabis" where he would slam government officials and spread his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had a harem, an ensemble of young women who performed at his shows as well as supported his vocally.
He was a dancer
Fela was a master of musical fusion. He combined elements of beat music, and highlife to create his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and vocal critic of colonial rule.
Despite being snatched and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and witnessing his mother be killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.
Fela was an activist for the political cause who was a critic of the oppressive Nigerian government and believed in the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both the government and colonial forces. He also promoted black power and decried Christianity and Islam as non-African influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa. Shuffering and Smiling is the title track of an album from 1978. It is about overcrowded public buses filled with poor workers, "shuffering and smiling". Fela was a fierce anti-religious hypocrisy. The music of Fela was enhanced by his dancers, who were vibrant, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the show were as important as Fela's words.
He was an activist in the political arena.
Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge oppressive authority. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk towards African patterns and rhythms, creating a sound that is braced for battle. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers riffs, long-lined melody lines and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.
In contrast to many artists who were hesitant to expose their political beliefs, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a fervent feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers' union.
He also created Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was an emblem of resistance. The government raided the commune, destroying the property and hurting Fela severely. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak out against the government. He died in 1997 from complications arising from AIDS. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy.
He was a father
Music is often viewed as a political act and musicians use lyrics to demand change. Some of the most powerful musical performances are not supported by words. fela lawsuit settlements was one of them, and his music is still ringing out today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop, being influenced by artists like James Brown.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and fought 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 continues to carry the legacy of his father through a band named Egypt 80. The band will be touring the globe this year. The Egyptian 80's music blends the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of power structures that still exist 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 huge, that the police had to block the entrance.