Fela: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. This is what makes him so intriguing. People who love him forgive the parts of him that aren't perfect.

His songs are often 20 minutes long or longer and are performed in a dense Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also includes jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to influence the world. He used his music to advocate for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is evident in the world of today. Afrobeat is a style of music that blends African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music as well as funk. However it has evolved into a brand new genre.

His political activism was fierce and frightened. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were blatant critiques of Nigeria's regime. He also referred to Kalakuta as a venue to meet like-minded people and to encourage political activism.

The production features a huge portrait of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was a well-known feminist activist and feminist pioneer. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and she does a great job of conveying her importance in Fela's life. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her declining health, she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead, she chose traditional treatments.

He was a singer

Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who utilized music to bring about political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, which is a blend of funk and dirty African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.

Growing up with an anti-colonial feminist mother, it is no surprise that Fela was a fan of political and social commentary. His parents hoped that he would be a doctor however, there were other goals for him.

A trip to America changed his life forever. Exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound influence on his music. He embraced a philosophy of Pan-Africanism, that would influence and guide his later work.

He was a music producer

Fela met Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experience inspired him to start a political movement called the Movement of the People, and to write songs that reflected his ideas on political activism and black consciousness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis, a form of public speaking that he called 'freedom expression'. He also began to enforce an uncompromising code of ethics for his band, including refusing to receive medication from Western-trained doctors.

After returning to Nigeria Fela began building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. The snares of military and police officials were almost constant. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers repopulated the area around the club with drugs of all kinds, especially "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela maintained his integrity in spite of this. His music is a testament of his determination to challenge authority and ensuring that the desires of the masses are recognized in official goals. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.

He was a poet

Fela's music employed sarcasm and humor to draw attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience as well as the government and himself. In these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the little pond." These jokes were not viewed lightly by the authorities and he was repeatedly detained and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of the authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo, which means "he carries death in his bag."

In  fela railroad settlements , Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he contrasted soldiers with blind zombies who obeyed orders without any question. This irritated the military and they raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor through a window.

In the years following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, a genre of music that blended jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism, and he favored traditional African religions and culture. He also criticized fellow Africans for ignoring their country's traditions. He stressed the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was a rapper

A trumpeter, saxophonist and composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up with jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped shape his unique style of music. After his trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work profoundly.

When he returned 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 submerged by Western sensibilities. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was arrested repeatedly 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, called "yabis" where he would lampoon officials of the government and share his beliefs on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a harem of young women who performed at his shows and acted as vocal backups to him.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements from beat music, and highlife to create his own distinct style. He was a prominent African musician and a 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 of complications due to AIDS in 1997.

Fela was a prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman, focused on the issue of oppression by both government bodies and colonial parties. He also pushed for black-power and criticized Christianity, Islam and other non-African influences for dividing the people of Africa. The title track of the album from 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses full of poor people "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. The dancers of Fela were an excellent match for his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and regal. Their contributions were as important as Fela’s words.

He was a militant in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge unjust authority. He made use of his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African modes and rhythms, creating a sound that is braced for a fight. The majority of his songs start with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers notes, riffs and other elements until they explode with a sense of urgency.

Unlike many artists, who were afraid to speak out about their politics, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in, even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was an avowed 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 expression of resistance. The government seized the commune, degrading the property and hurting Fela severely. He refused to relent however and continued to voice his opinion against the government. He died of complications from 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 and musicians use lyrics to solicit change. However, some of the most effective music-related protests don't rely on words at all. Fela Kuti is among these artists and his music is heard today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat music, which combines traditional African rhythms and harmony with hip-hop and jazz and was being influenced by artists like James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-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 studied Marxism and believed Nigeria should be serving its all citizens.

Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's legacy through the band Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music is a blend of the sounds and political stances of Fela's day with a passionate critique of the same power structures that continue to exist today. Black Times will be released at the end of March. A large number of fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral in Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large that the police had to block the entrance.