Fela Ransome-Kuti
Fela, a musician and political activist, was also a Pan-Africanist. He was a proponent of African culture and was heavily influenced by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana, where he discovered new musical influences.
He wrote songs that were intended as political attacks against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that systematically exploited Africa. His music was radically revolutionary.
Fela Ransome-Kuti was born in Abeokuta
In the 1970s and 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his brutal style of music and shrewd political declarations. Many of his songs were direct critiques of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships which took over the country during that time. He also criticised his fellow Africans for supporting these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, detained and jailed multiple times. He once called himself an "prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic" and founded his own political organization known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP).
Fela's mother was Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti known as a well-known feminist leader and women's rights activist. She was a teacher as well as an active member of the Abeokuta Women's Union. She also assisted in organising the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close relative of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA.
Ransome-Kuti favored Pan-Africanism and was a strong socialist. She was a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced Malcolm X, Eldridge Clever and the Black Power Movement. She was a part of the African Renaissance Movement.
The music of Fela was able in spite of his opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to gain an international fan base. His music was a mixture of jazz, Afrobeats and rock, heavily in the style of American jazz clubs. He was a fierce anti-racism activist.
Fela's rebelliousness against the Nigerian government landed him numerous arrests and beatings. fela attorneys did not stop him from traveling the United States and Europe. In 1984, he was snatched by the military and arrested under questionable charges. The incident prompted international human rights groups to intervene and the government to step down. Kuti however, continued to record and perform up until his death in 1998. He was buried at the Kalakuta Cemetery in Abeokuta. The Fela Museum is located in the city.
He was a musician
A passionate Pan-Africanist Fela was adamant about using his music as a means of social protest. He was a critic of the Nigerian Government and inspired activists all over the world. Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, an anticolonialist and leader in the Nigerian women's movement. His mother was also a physician and anti-colonialist, as were his grandparents. Fela's life work was to fight for the rights and liberties of the oppressed.
Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958, after the time he quit medical school. He wanted to pursue his passion for the music. He started out playing highlife, a cult music genre that fuses traditional African rhythms with Western instruments, and jazz. He formed his first band in London and was able to perfect his skills in the capital of music of Europe. On his return to Nigeria He came up with Afrobeat that combines agit-prop lyrics with danceable beats. The new sound was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent. It was soon one of the most influential forms in African music.
The political activism of Fela in the 1970s led him into direct conflict with Nigerian regimes. The regime was concerned that his music would motivate people to fight against their oppressors and to overturn the status-quo. Fela was adamant, despite numerous attempts to silence his music continued to produce a ferocious and danceable music until the end of his life. He died of complications arising from AIDS in 1997.
Fela's nightclub in Lagos called Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also built the Kalakuta republic which was a commune that served as his recording studio and club. The commune was also used as a place to hold political speeches. Fela often criticized the Nigerian government and world leaders, including U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha.
Despite his death from AIDS-related complications his legacy is still alive. His Afrobeat sound has inspired a number of artists, including Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z also cites his influence. He was a mysterious person who was passionate about music women, women and a good time, but his true legacy is in his unwavering efforts to defend 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. A master of blending elements of African culture with American funk and jazz as well, he also utilized his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government. He continued to speak up and stand up for his beliefs despite being arrested and beaten frequently.
Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti family that included anti-colonialists as well as artists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a educator and feminist and his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti was instrumental in forming an union of teachers. He grew singing and listening to the traditional tunes and beats of highlife - an amalgamation of soul songs, jazz standards and Ghanaian hymns. This musical heritage shaped the worldview of Fela, who was determined to bring Africa to the world, and the world to Africa.
In 1977, Fela released Zombie, a song that likened the police to a mindless horde that would obey any order and brutalize the populace. The song was arouse for the military authorities who surrounded Fela's house and ransacked his compound. They beat everyone including Fela’s children and women. His mother was thrown out of the window and died of injuries sustained during the attack the following year.
The invasion fueled Fela’s anti-government activism. He established a commune called the Kalakuta Republic. It also was a studio used for recording. He also formed a political party and broke away from the Nigerian government, and his songs began to concentrate more on social issues. In 1979, he carried his mother's coffin to the junta's headquarters in Lagos, and was beaten for his efforts.
Fela was a warrior who was fearless and never bowed to the status of the game. He knew that he was fighting against an opponent that was unjust and inefficient, yet he did not give up. He was the embodiment a spirit of indefatigability and in this manner, he was truly hero. He was a man that stood up to the odds and changed the course of history. His legacy lives on to this day.
He passed away in 1997.
The death of Fela was a blow to his many fans around the globe. He was 58 years old when he passed away and his funeral was attended by a large number of people. The family of the deceased said that the cause of death was heart failure caused by AIDS.
Fela was a key figure in the development of Afrobeat, a style of music that combines traditional Yoruba rhythms with jazz and American funk. His political activism resulted in arrests and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be disarmed. He encouraged others to resist the corrupt rule of the Nigerian military regime and advocated Africanism. Fela was also a major influencer on the Black Power movement in the United States, which inspired him to continue fighting for Africa.
In his later years, Fela suffered from skin lesions and dramatic weight loss. These symptoms clearly indicated that he was suffering from AIDS. He was an AIDS disbeliever and refused treatment, but eventually succumbed to the disease. Fela Kuti will be remembered by generations.
Kuti's music is a strong political statement that is a challenge to the status of the art. He was a revolutionary who sought to change the way Africans were treated. He made use of his music as a means of social protest and was a fighter against colonialism. His music played a major role in changing the lives of many Africans and the world will remember him for his contributions.
Fela collaborated with many producers throughout his career to develop his distinctive sound. Some of these producers 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 gave him a global following. He was controversial in the music business and was often critical about Western culture.
Fela is known for his controversial music and his lifestyle. He smoked marijuana openly and had numerous affairs with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria despite his extravagant lifestyle. His music had a profound impact on Africans who lived their lives and helped them to embrace their own culture.