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Fela Kuti Felas life is full of contradictions which is part of what makes him fascinating People who love him accept the bad parts of him His songs often run for up to 20 minutes and are performed in dense almost incomprehensible Pidgin English His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music He also includes jazz Yoruba and highlife with guitars and horns He was a musician Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to influence the world He utilized his music to call for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence is still felt in the world in the present Afrobeat is a form of music that combines African and Western influences Its roots are in WestAfrican and funk However it has evolved into a new genre His political activism was fierce and fearless He used his music to speak out against corruption in government and human rights abuses Songs like Zombie and Coffin for the Head of State were bold critiques of the Nigerian regime The residence he lived in Kalakuta Republic as an area for political activism and an area for gathering with likeminded people The play includes a large portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransomeKuti She was a renowned feminist and activist She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs who has successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela The play also explores her political activism Despite her deteriorating condition she refused to be tested for AIDS Instead she took 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 famous for his work on afrobeat a fusion of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms He was also a relentless critic of Nigerias political and religious leaders Felas mother was an anticolonial suffragist and its not surprising that he has a love for political commentaries and social commentary His parents wanted him to be medical doctor but he had different plans A trip to America changed his outlook forever Exposure to Black power movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music fela claims railroad employees adopted a PanAfricanism philosophy which would inform and guide his later work He was a writer While in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X The experiences inspired him to establish an activist movement known as the Movement of the People and to write songs that reflected his ideas on political activism and black consciousness His ideas were expressed in public via the way of yabis an art of public speaking is referred to as freedom of expression He also started to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band This included refusing to take medication from Westerntrained medical professionals After returning to Nigeria Fela began building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja The raids by officers and police were almost daily His hangerson from MosholashiIdiOro repopulated the area around the club with hard drugs especially bana and yamuna heroin Fela maintained his integrity regardless of this His music is a testimony to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official goals It is a remarkable legacy that will endure for generations to be He was a poet In his music Fela used lighthearted sarcasm to highlight economic and political issues in Nigeria He also poked fun at his audience the government and even himself He often referred to himself during these shows as the big dick on the little pond The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was often detained and detained as well as beating by the authorities He was eventually given the name Anikulapo which means he carries his death in his bag In 1977 Fela released a song called Zombie in which he contrasted soldiers with blind zombies who obeyed orders without asking questions The military was offended by the song and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic They burned it down and beat its residents During the raid her mother was thrown from her secondfloor window Fela developed Afrobeat during the years that following the countrys independence Afrobeat is a music genre that combines jazz with indigenous African rhythm His songs criticised European imperialism in culture and praised African traditional religions and cultures He also criticized fellow Africans who betrayed their countrys traditions He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom He was a hiphop artist Fela Anikulapo Kuti trumpeter and saxophonist was born in Abeokuta in 1938 He is a pioneer in Afrobeat music He was inspired by jazz rock and roll as well as traditional African music chants and 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 Felas music became an instrument of political power upon his return to Nigeria He criticized the government of his home country and also argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of the military Fela was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa that is also known as igbo He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine also known as yabis in which he would lampoon government officials and spread his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of womens bodies Fela had an harem which was which was a group of women who performed at his shows and also supported his vocally He was a dancer Fela was a master of musical fusion He incorporated elements of jazz beat music and highlife to create his own distinctive style He was a prominent African musician and a vocal critic of colonial rule Despite being arrested and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and witnessing his mother killed Fela refused to leave the country He died from complications due to AIDS in 1997 Fela was an activist in the political arena who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and embraced the principles of Pan Africanism His albums including 1973s Gentleman focused on the oppression of both government and colonial forces He also advocated black power and decried Christianity Islam and other nonAfrican influences for dividing the people of Africa The title track on a 1978 album Shuffering and Shmiling describes the overcrowded public buses packed with workers shuffering and smiling Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy His music was in turn complemented by his dancers who were lively sensual and regal Their contributions to the performances were as important as Felas words He was a political activist Fela Kuti utilized music as a way to challenge unjust authorities He made use of his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms creating a sound that is braced for a fight Most of his songs start with slowburning instrumentals then layering small riffs and melodies until they explode in a flash of vigor Fela like many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics was unflinching and uncompromising He stood for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a fervent feminist who led the Nigerian Womens Movement His father was a protestant minister and the teachers union president He also founded Kalakuta Republic a recording studio and commune that grew into an emblem of the resistance The government raided the commune destroying the property and injured Fela severely He refused to give up however and continued to speak against the government He died in 1997 from complications caused by AIDS He was succeeded by his son Femi who continues to carry on his musical and political legacy He was a father Music is often seen as a form of political protest with artists using lyrics to solicit change Some of the most powerful music demonstrations arent performed with words Fela Kuti was one of them and his music continues to ring out to this day He pioneered Afrobeat which combines traditional African harmonies and rhythms with jazz and funk inspired by artists like James Brown Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Felas activist mother She was a unionist and opposed colonialism She helped form the Abeokuta Womens Union and fought against genderdiscriminatory taxation laws She also was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should be serving its whole population Seun Felas son is carrying the legacy of his father through the band Egypt 80 The band is on tour around the world this year The bands music combines the music and politics of Felas era with a fervent denial of the same power structures that are still in place in the present The album Black Times will be released in March Thousands of fans attended the funeral and paid their tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square The crowd was so huge that the police had to block the entrance