The No. 1 Question Everyone Working In Fela Must Know How To Answer

Fela Kuti

Fela is a man of contradictions. That's what makes him so fascinating. People who love him can forgive his bad sides.

His songs can last 20 minutes or more, and are performed in thick, almost incomprehensible Pidgin English. His music is influenced by Christian hymns, jazz, classical music, Yoruba music, chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be an instrument of change. He utilized his music to call for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is present in the world even today. Afrobeat is a form 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 completely new genre.

His political activism was fierce and fearless. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption by the government and human rights violations. Songs like "Zombie" and "Coffin for the Head of State" were provocative critiques of the Nigerian regime. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as an enclave for political activism and an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.

The production includes a massive portrait featuring his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. The actress who portrays her is Shantel Cribbs, who successfully conveyed her significance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses her political activism. Despite her declining health she refused to undergo tests for AIDS. Instead she 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 famous for his work on afrobeat - a fusion of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was also a relentless critic of Nigeria's political and religious leaders.

His mother was a suffragist against colonialism and it's not surprising that he is a fan for political commentary and social commentary. His parents hoped that he would eventually become a doctor, but he had other ideas.

A trip to America changed his life forever. His music was profoundly affected by his exposure to Black Power movements and leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X.  fela lawsuits  developed 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 led him to form an organization called the Movement of the People and create songs that expressed the ideas he had about activism and black awareness. His philosophy was expressed publicly through yabis, a form of public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also began imposing an ethical code on his band. This included refusing to take medication from Western-trained doctors.

After returning to Nigeria Fela started building his own club The Shrine in Ikeja. Police and military officials were all the time. Mosholashi-Idi-Oro's hangers-on repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs, particularly "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). However, Fela kept his integrity unshaken. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is a legacy that will last for generations.

He was a poet

In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to highlight economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience, the government, and himself. In these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the little pond." These jokes were not accepted lightly by the authorities and he was repeatedly detained and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of authorities. He eventually took the name Anikulapo, which means "he has death in his pocket."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers to blind zombies who obeyed orders without any question. The military was offended by the song and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic. They burned it down and beat its inhabitants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown out of her second-floor apartment by the window.

Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that after the nation's independence. Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and indigenous African rhythm. His songs criticised European cultural imperialism and defended traditional African traditions and religions. He also criticised fellow Africans for disrespecting their country's tradition. He emphasized the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was an artist of hip-hop.

A trumpeter, saxophonist and composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He grew up listening to jazz music, rock and roll and traditional African music and chants, which helped shape his unique 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 have influenced his work.

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

Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, also known as "igbo" in Africa. He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" where he would slam officials of the government and share his beliefs on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had an entourage of young women who performed at his shows and acted as vocal backups for his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused elements of beat music, and highlife into his own distinctive style. He was a leading African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule.

Fela refused, despite being detained and tortured 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 prominent political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both the government and colonial forces. He also emphasized black power and criticised Christianity and Islam as non-African imports, which have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track of a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses filled with poor workers "shuffering and shmiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. His music was in turn complemented by his dancers, who were vibrant sensual, regal, and sensual. Their contributions were just as important as Fela’s words.

He was an activist in the political arena.

Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge oppressive authority. He steered his knowledge of American funk and jazz toward African modes and rhythms, resulting in a sound that is braced for battle. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then layering little riffs and long-lined melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor.

Unlike many artists, who were afraid to speak out about their politics, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood up for what 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 the head of the teachers' union.

He also founded Kalakuta Republic - a recording studio and commune that was a symbol of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to back down however and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away in 1997 due to complications related to AIDS. His son Femi continues to carry his musical and political legacy.

He was a father

Music is often viewed by many as a form of political protest. The lyrics of musicians are used to demand change. Some of the most powerful music performances are not accompanied by words. Fela Kuti is one of these artists, and his music still is heard today. He was the pioneer of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hip-hop, inspired by artists like James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a militant and unionist who fought 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 serve its all citizens.

Fela's son Seun is continuing his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music is a blend of the sounds and politics of Fela's era with a passionate critique of the same power structures that are still in place today. Black Times will be released at the end March. Many fans attended the funeral and paid respects in Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so huge that the police had to shut down the entrance.