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Fela RansomeKuti In addition to being a musician Fela was a political activist and a PanAfricanist He was a proponent of African culture and was influenced by Black Power He travelled to Ghana and discovered new musical influences He wrote songs that were meant to be political attacks against the Nigerian government and a global order that systematically exploited Africa His music was radically revolutionary Fela RansomeKuti was born in Abeokuta Fela ransomeKuti was known in the 1970s and 80s for his rebellious political views and brutal music Many of his songs were direct critiques of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships which ruled the nation during those years He also criticised his fellow Africans who supported these dictatorships Felas rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly He was beaten arrested and jailed several times In fact he once declared himself a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic He also established his own political party the Movement for the Advancement of the People MOP also known as MOP Her mother was Funmilayo RunsomeKuti who was a globally recognized feminist leader and rights for women activist She was a member of the Abeokuta Womens Union and worked as a teacher 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 kin of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka RansomeKuti favored PanAfricanism and was a strong socialist She argued for the preservation of traditional African religions and lifestyles and she opposed European cultural imperialism RansomeKuti was inspired by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver She was a member of the African Renaissance Movement Despite his aversion to Western culture and the oppressive Nigerian government Fela was able to attract a large following worldwide with his music His music was a blend of Afrobeats jazz and rock heavily inspired by American jazz clubs He was a fervent antiracism activist Felas protests in Nigeria against the government resulted in many arrests and beatings It did not deter him from traveling the United States and Europe In 1984 he was beaten by the military and detained under questionable charges International human rights groups intervened after the incident and the government was forced to step down Kuti however continued to record and perform until his death in 1998 He was buried at the Kalakuta Cemetery in Abeokuta The Fela Museum is located in the city fela accident attorney was a musician A passionate PanAfricanist Fela was committed to using his music as a means of social protest He criticized the Nigerian Government while inspiring activists from all over the world Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta Nigeria He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti an anticolonialist who was a leader in the Nigerian womens movement His mother like his grandparents was a doctor who was an anticolonialist Felas life work was to fight for the rights and liberties of the oppressed Fela began his career as a musician in 1958 after he dropped out of medical school to pursue his passion for music He began playing highlife music a popular genre that fuses African rhythms and Western instruments with 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 which combines lyrics written in agitprop with danceable beats The new sound caught on across Nigeria and across the continent becoming one of the most influential styles of African music Felas political activism during the 1970s brought him into direct conflict with Nigerian regimes The regime was frightened by the power of his music to inspire people to take on their oppressors and overturn the status of the game Despite numerous attempts to silence him Fela continued to make powerful and incredibly danceable music until the end of his life He died of complications related to AIDS in 1997 While Fela was alive crowds were always waiting to watch him perform at his nightclub in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine He also set up an enclave the Kalakuta Republic that functioned as his recording studio club and spiritual space The commune was also used as a venue for political speeches Fela was critical of the Nigerian government as well as world leaders such as Ronald Reagan Margaret Thatcher and PW Botha South African Prime Minister Botha Despite his death from AIDSrelated complications his legacy lives on His Afrobeat sound has influenced many artists including Beyonce and Wyclef Jean Jay Z also credits him as a source of inspiration He was an enigmatic figure who was passionate about music women and having an evening out however his real legacy lies in his relentless efforts to fight for the marginalized 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 of blending elements of African culture with American funk and jazz he also used his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government Despite being the subject of frequent beatings and arrests and beatings He continued to speak out and fight for his beliefs Fela was born into the RansomeKuti clan that included artists and anticolonialists His mother Funmilayo RansomeKuti was a feminist educator while his father Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti assisted in to establish a union of teachers He was a singer and listened to the traditional songs and beats of highlife a mix of jazz standards soul songs and Ghanaian hymns His worldview was inspired by the music of his father He was determined to bring Africa and the world together In 1977 Fela recorded Zombie The song contrasts the police with a mindless horde who would follow orders and slay people The song enraged the military authorities who seized the home of Fela and took over his compound They beat all of them including Felas wives and children His mother was removed from a window and later died of injuries she suffered in the assault The war was the catalyst for Felas antigovernment activism He established a commune known as the Kalakuta Republic It also doubled as a studio for recording He also formed an political party and separated from the Nigerian state and his music were more influenced by social issues In 1979 he took his mothers coffin to the juntas headquarters in Lagos and was beaten for his efforts Fela was an ardent warrior and never bowed to the status quo He knew that he was fighting against an opponent that was unjust and inefficient but he did not give up He was a symbol of a spirit that was indefatigable and in that way it was truly heroic He was a man that stood up to the odds and changed the course history His legacy continues to live even today He passed away in 1997 The death of Fela was a devastating loss to his fans all over the world He was 58 years old when he died and his funeral was attended by a large number of people His family members claimed that he died due to heart failure due to AIDS Fela played a significant part in the creation and development of Afrobeat music a genre that combines traditional Yoruba rhythms and jazz with American funk His political activism led him to be taken into custody and beat by the Nigerian police He refused to be silenced He was a proponent of Africanism and encouraged others to stand up against corruption within the Nigerian military government Fela was also a major influence on the Black Power movement in the United States which inspired him to fight for Africa In his later years Fela suffered from skin swelling and weight loss that was dramatic These signs clearly indicated that he was suffering from AIDS He was an AIDS disbeliever and refused treatment but eventually succumbed to the disease Fela Kutis legacy is sure to live on for generations to come Kutis music is a powerful declaration of political opinions that challenge the status quo He was a revolutionary who wanted to change the way Africans were treated He made use of music to fight colonialism and as a way of social protest His music had a significant impact on changing the lives of a lot of Africans and he will be remembered for his contribution to the cause Through his entire career Fela worked with various producers to develop 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 American funk and jazz gaining him an international following He was a controversial figure in the world of music and was often critical of Western cultural practices Fela is known for his controversial music and his life style He was a pot smoker and had numerous affairs with women He was an activist who fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria despite his outrageous lifestyle His music was influential in many Africans lives and encouraged them to embrace their culture