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Fela Kuti Fela is a man of contradictions This is what makes him so intriguing People who love him are able to accept his flaws His songs can last longer than 20 minutes and are sung in thick almost incomprehensible Pidgin English fela claims railroad employees is heavily influenced by Christian hymns jazz classical music Yoruba chant and hornandguitar heavy highlife He was a musician Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to influence the world He utilized his music to call for social and political changes and his influence can be evident in the world of in the present Afrobeat is a style of music that combines African and Western influences Its roots lie in WestAfrican highlife music and funk However it has since developed into its own genre His political activism was fierce and fearless He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses Songs such as Zombie Coffin for the State Head and others were bold critiques of Nigerias regime He also made his home Kalakuta Republic as a hub for political activism as well as a gathering place for likeminded individuals The play includes a large portrait of his mother Funmilayo RansomeKuti who was a prominent activist and feminist pioneer Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does an excellent job of capturing the importance she played in Felas life The play also highlights on her political activism Despite her deteriorating health she refused to get tested for AIDS and instead opted for traditional treatment He was a singer Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex person who used music to effect changes in the political landscape He is known as the creator of afrobeat It was an invigorating blend of funk and traditional African rhythms He was also a constant critic of Nigerias governmental and religious leaders Having been raised by an anticolonial suffragist mom Its no surprise that Fela was a fan of politics and social commentary His parents wanted him to become an ophthalmologist however he had other plans While he initially sounded in a more political highlife fashion a trip in America could alter his perspective forever His music was profoundly inspired by his exposure to Black Power movements and leaders such as Eldridge Clever and Malcolm X He embraced an Africancentric philosophy which would guide and inform 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 experience led him to create a political group called the Movement of the People and write songs that reflected the thoughts that he held about political activism and black awareness His philosophical ideas were aired through the medium of yabis which is a form of public speaking was referred to as freedom of expression He also began to impose strict moral codes for his band such as refusing to take medicine from Westerntrained doctors Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja The frequent raids by police and military officials was almost constant His MosholashiIdi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area around the club with hard drug especially bana and yamuna heroin However Fela was a man of uncompromising integrity His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals It is an extraordinary legacy that will endure for generations to come He was a poet Felas music employed sarcasm and humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria He also snarkily mocked his audience government and even himself He referred to himself during these shows as the big dick on the small pond The authorities took his jokes lightly and he was repeatedly arrested and detained as well as beat by the authorities He was eventually given the name Anikulapo which translates to he has his death in his bag In 1977 Fela released a song called Zombie in which he compared soldiers with brainless zombies that followed orders without any question This offended the military who seized the Kalakuta Republic burning it down and beating its inhabitants In the course of the raid Felas mother was thrown from her secondfloor window Fela developed Afrobeat in the years that after the countrys independence Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz and native African rhythm His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional traditions and religions He also criticised fellow Africans for betraying the traditions of their homeland He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom He was an artist of hiphop A trumpeter saxophonist composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre Fela AnikulapoKuti 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 style of music After a trip to the United States Fela met Sandra Smith She was an activist in the Black Power Movement Her ideas influenced his work When he returned to Nigeria Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes He criticised the government of his home country and argued against Western sensibilities affecting African culture He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses He was repeatedly detained for his criticism of military Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa and is referred to as igbo He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine which he referred to as yabis in which he would lampoon officials of the government and share his beliefs on freedom of expression and the beauty of womens bodies Fela also had a harem of young women who performed at his shows and acted as vocal backups to his vocalists He was a dancer Fela was a master of musical fusion He incorporated elements from jazz beat music and highlife to create his own unique style He influenced generations of African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule Fela refused to be interrogated and detained by the Nigerian military junta as well being a witness to the murder of his mother He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997 Fela was a wellknown political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles of Pan Africanism His albums including 1973s Gentleman focused on fighting oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties He also promoted black power and decried Christianity and Islam as nonAfrican influenced religions that were used to divide the people of Africa Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from an album from 1978 It is about overcrowded public transports filled with poor workers shuffering and smiling Fela was a fierce enemy of religious hypocrisy His dancers were an excellent complement to his music They were vibrant sensual and elegant Their contributions were just as important as Felas words He was a political militant Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge oppressive authority He adapts his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms making a sound that was ready for a fight The majority of his songs start with slowburning instrumentals He layers notes riffs and other elements until they explode with urgency In contrast to many artists who were afraid to expose their political beliefs Fela was fearless and uncompromising He stood in his convictions even when it was risky to do so Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who led the Nigerian Womens Movement His father was a protestant minister and the head of the teachers union He also established Kalakuta Republic a recording studio and commune that was an emblem of the resistance The government seized the commune destroying the property and hurting Fela severely He refused to relent though and continued to speak out against the government He died from complications of AIDS in 1997 He was succeeded by his son Femi who continues to carry on his music and political legacy He was a father Music is often seen by many as a political act The lyrics of musicians are used to call for change Some of the most powerful musical demonstrations are not supported by words Fela Kuti is one the artists mentioned above and his music rings today He was the founder of Afrobeat music which combines traditional African rhythms and harmony with jazz and hiphop and was inspired by artists like James Brown Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Felas activist mother She was a unionist and fought colonialism She helped form the Abeokuta Womens Union and fought against genderdiscriminatory taxation laws She also studied Marxism and believed Nigeria should serve its all citizens Felas son Seun is continuing his fathers legacy through a band called Egypt 80 thats touring the world this year The Egypt 80s music combines the sound of Fela with a sharp critique of power structures that still exist today The album Black Times will be released in March Many fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square The crowd was so big that police were forced to block the entrance to the location