drinkmay6
User Name: You need to be a registered (and logged in) user to view username.
Total Articles : 0
Fela RansomeKuti In addition to being a musician Fela was a political activist and PanAfricanist He was a champion of African culture and was inspired by Black Power He traveled to Ghana where he discovered new musical influences He composed songs that were intended to be political statements against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that abused Africa systematically His music was radically revolutionary Fela RansomeKuti was a child of Abeokuta Fela ransomeKuti was known in the 1970s and 80s for his agitated political views and brutal 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 backed these dictatorships Felas rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly He was beaten arrested and jailed multiple times In fact he once declared himself a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic He also created his own political party known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People or MOP Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Felas mother She was a feminist leader and womens rights activist wellknown around the world She was an active member of the Abeokuta Womens Union and worked as an educator She also assisted in organizing the first preschool classes in Abeokuta She was a suffragist and was active in the Nigerian independence movement She was a close kin of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka RansomeKuti was an avid supporter of PanAfricanism and socialism She was a proponent of the preservation of traditional African religions and lifestyles and was a strong opponent of European cultural imperialism RansomeKuti was influenced in her work by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver She was a part of the African Renaissance Movement Despite his aversion to Western culture and the oppressive Nigerian government Fela was able to gain a wide audience with his music His music incorporated elements from Afrobeat and rock jazz and was heavily influenced by the beats of American jazz clubs He was also a fervent antiracist Felas protests in Nigeria against the government led to numerous arrests and beatings However it did not stop him from traveling the United States and Europe In 1984 he was once again snubbed by the military and arrested on dubious charges of smuggling currency The incident led international human rights groups to intervene and the government to back down However Kuti continued to record and perform until his death in 1997 He was buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery Abeokuta The Fela Museum is located in the city He was a musician Fela a fervent PanAfricanist believed in using music as a method of social protest Using his funkdriven Afrobeat style he decried the Nigerian government and inspired activists across the globe Fela was an African born in Abeokuta in 1938 He was the son of Funmilayo RunsomeKuti an anticolonialist who was a staunch leader of the Nigerian womens movement His mother like his grandparents was a physician who was an anticolonialist Fela was raised to fight for the rights of oppressed people and that became his passion in life Fela started his career in the field of music teacher in 1958 following he dropped out of medical school He was determined to pursue his passion for music He began playing highlife a cult music genre that fuses traditional African rhythms with Western instruments and jazz He started his first band in London and was able to develop his skills in the musical capital of Europe On his return to Nigeria he created Afrobeat that combines the lyrics of agitprop with danceable beats The new style was adopted by Africans and Nigerians across the continent It was soon one of the most influential styles in African music In the 1970s Felas political activism put him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes The regime was wary of his musics ability to inspire people to take on their oppressors and challenge the status established order Despite repeated attempts to disarm him Fela continued to make powerful and incredibly danceable music until the end of his life He died in 1997 from complications arising from AIDS While Fela was alive lines of people were always out the door to watch him perform at his nightclub in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine He also built the Kalakuta republic which was a commune that served as his recording studio and club The commune also was an area for political speeches Fela often criticized the Nigerian government and world leaders including US President Ronald Reagan British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister PW Botha Despite his death from complications related to AIDS his legacy is still alive His Afrobeat style has influenced a variety of artists including Beyonce and Wyclef Jean Jay Z has also mentioned him as a source of inspiration He was a mysterious person who was passionate about music women music and having a good time But his real legacy lies in his tireless efforts to fight for the oppressed He was a PanAfricanist The renowned Nigerian multiinstrumentalist and political activist Fela AnikulapoKuti was a PanAfricanist bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people A master at blending elements from African culture with American jazz and funk as well he also utilized his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government Despite numerous arrests and beatings but He continued to stand up for and defend his convictions Fela was born into the RansomeKuti family which included anticolonialists and artists His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist and educator as was his father Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti was instrumental in forming an union of teachers He grew up listening to and singing the classic melodies of highlife an intermixing of jazz standards soul ballads and Ghanaian hymns The worldview of Fela was formed by this musical legacy fela lawyer was determined to bring Africa and the world together In 1977 Fela recorded Zombie The song contrasts the police to a solitary horde who would follow orders and slay people The track irritated the military authorities who invaded his house and sacked his home They beat all of them including Felas wives and children His mother was thrown out of the window and died of injuries sustained during the attack the following year The invasion fueled the antigovernment activism of Fela He founded a commune known as the Kalakuta Republic It also served as a studio for recording He also formed a political party and seceded from the Nigerian state and his songs became more centered on social issues In 1979 he walked his mothers coffin to the juntas headquarters in Lagos and was arrested for his efforts Fela was a fierce and uncompromising warrior who refused to accept the status established order He knew that he was fighting a power that was unjust and inefficient but he never gave up He was a symbol of an unstoppable spirit and in that way he was truly heroic He was a man who fought against every challenge and by doing so changed the course of the history of mankind His legacy continues to live on today He passed away in 1997 The death of Fela was a devastating blow to his many fans across the globe Many thousands of people attended his funeral He was at 58 when he died The family of the deceased said that he had died of heart failure caused by AIDS Fela played a significant role in the development and evolution of Afrobeat music Afrobeat music is a genre that blends traditional Yoruba rhythms jazz and American funk His political activism led him to be taken into custody and beat by the Nigerian police He refused to be silenced He urged others to stand up against the corrupt rule of the Nigerian military regime and preached Africanism Fela had a major impact on the Black Power Movement in the United States This inspired him to fight for Africa In his later years Fela developed skin lesions and he lost weight dramatically These symptoms indicated he was suffering from AIDS He was an AIDS denier and refused treatment but ultimately succumbed to the disease Fela Kutis legacy will live for generations to come Kutis songs are a powerful expression of political views that challenge the status quo He was a revolutionary who wanted to change the way Africans were treated He made use of his music as a tool for social protest and was a fighter against colonialism His music was influential in changing the lives of many Africans and the world will remember him for his contribution to the cause Fela worked with a variety of producers throughout his career to create his distinctive sound One of these producers was EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell His music was a blend of traditional African beats and American funk This brought him an international audience He was a controversial personality in the music industry and was often critical of Western culture Fela is famous for his controversial music and his life style He smoked openly marijuana and had numerous relationships with women He was an activist who fought for the rights the poor in Nigeria despite his extravagant lifestyle His music influenced many Africans in their lives and helped them to embrace their culture