20 Inspiring Quotes About Fela

Fela Kuti

The life of Fela is full of contradictions, and that's a large part of what makes him fascinating. People who love him will forgive his bad sides.

His songs are typically longer than 20 minutes, and sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is inspired by Christian hymns and classical music, jazz, Yoruba music, chant, and horn-and-guitar heavy highlife.

He was a musician

Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a tool to change the world. His music was used to call for social, political and economic change. His influence can be felt even today. Afrobeat is a style of music that blends African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African and funk. However, it has evolved into a brand new genre.

His political activism was fierce and fearless. He used his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs like "Zombie", "Coffin for the State Head" and others were shrewd criticisms of Nigeria's dictatorship. The residence he lived in, Kalakuta Republic, as an area for political activism as well as an area for gathering with like-minded people.

The play includes a large portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs plays her, and Federal Employers’ Liability she does a fantastic job of capturing the importance she played in Fela's life. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her declining health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead opted for traditional medicine.

He was a musician

Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who used music to effect changes in the political landscape. He is credited as the creator of afrobeat, an energetic mix of funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and governmental leaders.

Being raised by an anti-colonial feminist mother and a feminist father, it's not a surprise that Fela was interested in politics and social commentary. His parents hoped that he would be a doctor but there were other goals for him.

While he initially sounded in a more political highlife fashion, a trip in America could alter his perspective forever. The exposure to Black political movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music. He adopted a Pan-Africanism ethos that would influence and inform his later work.

He was a music producer

Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. This experience led him to start a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that expressed the ideas that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophies were publicly expressed through yabis - a form public speaking he called "freedom expression". He also started to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band. This included refusing to accept prescriptions from Western-trained doctors.

After returning to Nigeria Fela started building his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. The snares of military and police officials were almost daily. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, including "bana" and "yamuna" (heroin). Fela was a steadfast person despite this. His music is a testimony to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that the desires of the masses be reflected in official objectives. It is a remarkable legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.

He was a poet

Fela's music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also made fun of his audience, government officials, and even himself. During these shows, he would refer to himself as "the big dick in the pond with a little." These jokes were not viewed lightly by the authorities and he suffered repeated arrests and imprisonments, as well as beatings at the hands of authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo which means "he carries his body in his purse."

In 1977, Fela released a song called "Zombie" in which he compared soldiers to brainless zombies that followed orders without question. The military was offended by the song who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its inhabitants. In the course of the raid, the mother of Fela was thrown out of her second-floor window.

In the decades following the independence of Nigeria, Fela created Afrobeat, a genre of music that combined jazz with native African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism and defended traditional African traditions and religions. He also criticized fellow Africans who violated their nation's traditions. He emphasized the importance of freedom and human rights.

He was a rapper

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, trumpeter and saxophonist was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. 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 visit to the United States, Fela met Sandra Smith. She was an activist in the Black Power Movement. Her ideas have influenced his work.

When he returned to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticized the government of his native country, and argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social inequities and human rights violations and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.

fela claims was also a fervent advocate of marijuana in Africa, which is known as "igbo". He often held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, which he referred to as "yabis" which was where he would ridicule government officials and spread his beliefs on freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a harem of women in his youth, who performed at his shows and also served as vocal backups to his vocalists.

He was a dancer

Fela was a master of musical fusion, combining elements from beat music, and highlife to create his own distinct style. He was a leading African musician and vocal critic of colonial rule.

Despite being arrested and tortured by the Nigerian military junta and seeing his mother murdered, Fela refused to leave the country. He died in 1997 of AIDS-related complications.

Fela was a prominent political activist who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles Pan Africanism. His albums, such as 1973's Gentleman focused on the oppression of both government and colonial parties. He also pushed for black power and criticised Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track on an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crammed public busses packed with workers "shuffering and smiling." Fela was a staunch opponent of religious hypocrisy. The dancers of Fela were a great complement to his music. They were vivacious, sensual, and elegant. Their contributions were as important as Fela's words.

He was a political activist

Fela Kuti was an activist who utilized music to challenge unjust authority. He steered his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African modes and rhythms, resulting in music that is ready for battle. The majority of his songs start with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little notes, riffs and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy.

Unlike many artists, who were hesitant to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and unbending. He stood in the cause he believed in, even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a fervent feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers' union.

He also established Kalakuta Republic, a commune and recording studio that was a symbol of resistance. The government raided Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injured Fela. He refused to give up, though and continued to voice his opinion against the government. He died of complications from AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry his legacy of music and politics.

He was a father

Music is often seen by many as a political action. The lyrics of musicians are used to demand change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations are not supported by words. Fela Kuti was one such artist, and his music continues to ring out today. He pioneered Afrobeat, combining traditional African harmonies and rhythms with jazz and funk, being influenced by artists such as James Brown.

Fela's mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti was a militant and unionist who fought against colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied Marxism and believed Nigeria should serve its whole population.

fela federal employers liability act's son Seun continues his father's work, with a band called Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The Egyptian 80's music blends the sound of Fela with a sharp critique of the power structures that exist today. Black Times will be released at the end March. Thousands of fans paid their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large that police were forced to shut off the entrance to the location.