20 Myths About Fela: Dispelled > 문의하기

Fela Kuti

The life of Fela is full contradictions, and that's part of what makes him fascinating. People who love him forgive the flaws in him.

His songs can last up to 20 minutes, and are sung in thick, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music, jazz, Yoruba singing, and horn-andguitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to transform the world. He used his music to advocate for political and social change, and his influence is felt in the world even today. His musical style, Afrobeat, is a synthesis of African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However it has evolved into a completely new genre.

His political activism was ferocious and he took action without fear. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption by the government and human right abuses. Songs such as "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were provocative criticisms of the Nigerian regime. The residence he lived in, Kalakuta Republic, as an area for political activism as well as an area for gathering with people who were like-minded.

The play features a huge portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs, who successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating health, she refused to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatments.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex person who utilized music to bring about political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, a mix of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's governmental and religious leaders.

Having been raised by an anti-colonial feminist mother and a feminist father, it's not a surprise that Fela had a passion for political and social commentary. His parents wanted him to become medical doctor however, he had other plans.

A trip to America changed his perspective forever. His music was profoundly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and the leadership like Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X. He adopted an African-centric philosophy that would influence and guide 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. This experience led him to create an organization called the Movement of the People and compose songs that reflected the ideas he had about political activism and black awareness. His philosophical ideas were aired in public via the way of yabis, which is a form of public speaking he dubbed "freedom of expression". He also began to enforce strict moral codes for his band, such as refusing to take medications from doctors trained in the West.

After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The police and military officials were almost every day. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with hard drugs particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). But despite this, Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official objectives. 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 poked fun at his audience, Federal Employers’ Liability Act the government, and even himself. During these shows, he referred to himself as "the big fish in the small pond." These jokes were not viewed lightly by the authorities, and he was repeatedly detained and beatings in the hands of 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 that followed orders without question. The military was offended by this and raided Kalakuta Republic. They burned the place down and beat its residents. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor window.

Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that following the nation's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and indigenous African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for betraying the traditions of their homeland. He also stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was a rapper

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music. He grew up with jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped form his unique style of music. After an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work dramatically.

Upon his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. He criticized the government of his native country, and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social inequities and human rights violations and was often detained for his criticism of the military.

Fela also sporadically advocated for the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He often held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" where he would ridicule government officials and promote his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela had Harems, which was a group of women who performed at his shows and supported his vocally.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master at musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife into his own distinctive style. He influenced generations of African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule.

Fela refused to leave, despite being detained and tortured by the Nigerian military junta as being a witness to the murder of his mother. He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997.

fela railroad settlements was a prominent political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both government and colonial parties. He also promoted black power and decried Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses filled with poor workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a strong opponent of hypocrisy in religion. His music was in turn complemented by his dancers, who were vibrant sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions were as important as Fela’s words.

He was an activist in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge unjust authority. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms and created a sound that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin as simmering instrumentals, slowly layering little riffs and long-lined melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor.

In contrast to many artists who were afraid to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a 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 established Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that grew into a symbol of the resistance. The government raided the commune, degrading the property and injuring Fela badly. He refused to give up, however and continued to speak against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications related to AIDS. 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 form of political protest, with artists using lyrics to solicit change. But some of the most powerful music-related protests do not use words at all. Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music continues to ring out to this day. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop, inspired by artists like James Brown.

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's activist mother. She was a unionist and opposed colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied Marxism and believed Nigeria should be serving its entire population.

Fela's son Seun continues his father's legacy, through the band Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sounds of Fela with a scathing denunciation of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. Many fans attended the funeral and paid their respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that police were forced to block the entrance to the location.