Fela Ransome-Kuti
In addition to being a musician, Fela was a political activist and Pan-Africanist. He was a defender of African culture and was inspired by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana where he discovered new musical influences and a new direction for his music.
He composed songs designed to be political slams against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that routinely exploited Africa. His music was uncompromisingly revolutionary.
Fela Ransome-Kuti was born Abeokuta
Fela ransome-Kuti was famous in the 1970s and 1980s for his rebellious political views and aggressive music. Many of his songs were direct criticisms of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships that took over the country in those days. He also criticised his fellow Africans who supported these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was arrested, beaten and even jailed several times. In fact, he once declared himself "a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic." He also established his own political party known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People or MOP.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mother. She was a feminist leader and women's rights activist who is known throughout the world. She was a teacher as well as a member of Abeokuta Women's Union. She also helped organize some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close relative to writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA.
Ransome-Kuti favored Pan-Africanism and was a strong socialist. She was a staunch supporter of socialism and Pan-Africanism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was also a participant of the African Renaissance movement.
Fela's music was able, despite his opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to gain an international following. His music incorporated elements of Afrobeat, rock, and jazz and was heavily inspired by the beats of American jazz clubs. He was a fierce opponent of racism.
The Fela's revolt against the Nigerian government landed him numerous arrests and beatings. However, it did not stop him from touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he again was snatched by the military and arrested under dubious charges. The incident led international human rights groups to intervene and the government to back down. Kuti however, continued to record and perform up until his death in 1998. He was buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery in Abeokuta. The Fela Museum is located in the city.
He was a musician
Fela, a committed Pan-Africanist was committed to using music as a method of social protest. He criticized the Nigerian Government and inspired activists from all over the world. Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti who was a fervent anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother like his grandparents was a physician who was an anti-colonialist. Fela's life work was to fight for the rights and freedoms of those who were oppressed.
Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958 after he dropped out of medical school to pursue his passion for music. He began playing highlife music, which is a popular genre that combines African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz. He formed his first band in London and was able to develop his abilities in the capital city of Europe. On his return to Nigeria he developed Afrobeat that combined the lyrics of agitprop with danceable rhythms. The new sound caught on in Nigeria and across the continent, becoming one of the most influential forms of African music.
Fela's political activism during the 1970s put him in direct conflict with Nigerian regimes. The regime feared his music's ability to motivate people to rise up against their oppressors and change the status quo. Despite numerous attempts to disarm him, Fela continued to make fierce and supremely danceable music until the end of his life. He died in 1997 of complications caused by AIDS.
When Fela was alive, crowds of people were always out the door to catch him perform at his nightclub in Lagos, called Afrika Shrine. He also constructed the Kalakuta republic, a commune that was used as his recording studio and club. The commune also served as a place for political speeches. Fela often criticized the Nigerian government and world leaders such as U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha.
His legacy continues to live on despite his death due to complications resulting from AIDS. His Afrobeat style has influenced a variety of artists like Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z also cites him as an influence. He was a mysterious man who was a lover of music, fun, and women. But his true legacy is his tireless efforts to fight for the oppressed.
He was a Pan-Africanist
The renowned Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a Pan-Africanist, bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people. He was a master at mixing African culture with American jazz and funk. He also used his music as a means to critique Nigeria's oppressive regime. Despite being the subject of frequent beatings and arrests, he continued to stand up for and defend his convictions.
Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti family, which included anti-colonialists as well as artists. His mother, Funmilayo ransome-Kuti, was an educator and feminist as was his father Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, helped to establish a union of teachers. He was a singer and listened to the traditional melodies and beats of highlife - which included jazz standards, soul songs and Ghanaian hymns. His worldview was formed by this musical legacy. He was determined to bring Africa and the world together.
In 1977, Fela released Zombie, a song that likened policemen to a mindless horde that will follow any command, and then savagely attack the public. The song enraged the military authorities who invaded the home of Fela and took over his compound. They beat everyone, including Fela's women and children. His mother was thrown from a window, and passed away the following year from injuries she sustained during the assault.
The war fueled the anti-government activism of Fela. fela attorneys established an organization called the Kalakuta Republic, which doubled as recording studio. He also formed a political party and resigned from the Nigerian government and his songs began to focus more on social issues. In 1979, he took his mother's body to the headquarters of the junta's ruling party in Lagos and was beaten.
Fela was a fierce and uncompromising warrior who refused to accept the status established order. He knew that he was fighting against an unjust power and inefficient, and yet he refused to give up. He was the embodiment an indefatigable spirit, and in this way his story was truly heroic. He was a man who defied every challenge and, by doing so changed the course of history. His legacy lives in the present day.
He died in 1997
The passing of Fela has been a devastating loss to his fans around the world. Millions of people attended his funeral. He was at 58 when he died. His family members claimed that he died from heart failure caused by AIDS.
Fela played a key role in the development and evolution of Afrobeat music, a genre that combines traditional Yoruba rhythms, jazz and American funk. His political activism led to his arrest and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be silenced. He preached Africanism and urged others to fight corruption in the Nigerian military government. Fela had a significant impact on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue his fight for Africa.
In his later years Fela developed skin lesions, and he lost weight dramatically. These signs were an evident indication that he was suffering from AIDS. He refused treatment and denied he had AIDS. Then the disease took him away. Fela Kuti will be remembered by generations.
Kuti's music is a powerful political statement that challenges the status of the art. He was a revolutionary who wanted to change the way that Africans were treated. He used his music as a means of social protest and fought against colonialism. His music had a profound impact on the lives of a lot of Africans and he'll be remembered for that.
Throughout his career, Fela worked with various producers to create his distinct sound. Some of the producers he worked with included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt, British dub master Dennis Bovell and keyboardist Wally Badarou. His music was a mix of traditional African beats, American funk, and jazz, which earned him an international fan base. He was a controversial figure in the music industry and was often critical of Western culture.
Fela was well-known for his controversial music and lifestyle. He smoked marijuana openly and had numerous affairs with women. Despite his raunchy life, he was a staunch activist and struggled for the rights of the poor in Nigeria. His music influenced the lives of a variety of Africans and inspired them to embrace their own culture.