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Fela RansomeKuti Fela a musician and political activist who was also a panAfricanist He was a proponent of African culture and was influenced by Black Power He travelled to Ghana where he encountered new musical influences and a fresh direction for his music He composed songs designed to be political slams against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that was systematically exploiting Africa His music was radical and uncompromising Fela Ransome Kuti was born Abeokuta In the 1970s and the 1980s Fela RansomeKuti became known for his harsh style of music and shrewd political declarations Many of his songs were direct criticisms of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships that took over the country during those years He also criticised his fellow Africans who backed these dictatorships Felas rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly He was beaten detained and incarcerated numerous times In fact he once claimed to be a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic He also established his own political party known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People or MOP Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Felas mom She was a feminist leader and women rights activist who is famous throughout the world She was a teacher as well as a member of Abeokuta Womens Union She also assisted in the organization of some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta She was a suffragist and was active in the Nigerian independence movement She was a close relative of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA RansomeKuti favored PanAfricanism and was a staunch socialist She was a strong advocate of PanAfricanism and socialism RansomeKuti was influenced by Malcolm X Eldridge Clever and the Black Power Movement She was a member of the African Renaissance Movement Despite his aversion to Western culture and the oppressive Nigerian government Fela was able to draw a huge following around the world with his music His music incorporated elements from Afrobeat rock and jazz and was heavily inspired by the beats of American jazz clubs He was a fierce antiracism activist Felas rebellion against the Nigerian government earned him many arrests and beatings This did not stop him from touring the United States and Europe In 1984 he was once again attacked by the military and detained on suspicions of currency smuggling Human rights organizations from around the world intervened following the incident and the government was forced to step down Nevertheless 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 A passionate PanAfricanist Fela was adamant about using his music as a method of social protest He was a critic of the Nigerian Government while inspiring activists all over the world Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta Nigeria He was the son of Funmilayo RunsomeKuti who was a fervent anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian womens movement His mother was also a doctor and anticolonialist as were his grandparents Fela was taught to fight for the rights of oppressed people and this became his lifes work Fela began his career in musician in the year 1958 after the time he quit medical school He wanted to pursue his passion for music He began by playing highlife music which is a popular genre that fuses African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz He formed his first group in London and was able to develop his abilities in the capital city of Europe When he returned to Nigeria he created Afrobeat which combines lyrics written in agitprop with danceable beats The new sound was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent It became one of the most influential forms in African music Felas political activism during the 1970s led him into direct conflict with Nigerian regimes The regime feared that his music would inspire people to rebel against their oppressors and challenge the status quo Fela even despite repeated attempts to silence his music continued to create fierce and danceable music until the end of life He passed away in 1997 due to complications arising from AIDS The nightclub Felas had in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine was always packed with people He also built a commune the Kalakuta Republic which functioned as his recording studio club and spiritual space The commune also served as a venue 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 AIDSrelated complications his legacy lives on His pioneering Afrobeat sound continues to influence popular artists such as Beyonce Wyclef Jean and Jay Z who have mentioned him as an influencer He was an enigmatic figure who loved music women and an evening out however his real legacy is in his unwavering efforts to stand up 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 He was an expert at blending African culture with American jazz and funk He also utilized his music as a way to critique Nigerias oppressive regime He continued to speak up and stand up for his beliefs despite being arrested and beaten frequently Fela was born into the prestigious RansomeKuti clan which included anticolonialists and artists His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist and educator while his dad Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti was instrumental in forming the teachers union He grew singing and listening to the traditional songs and rhythms of highlife a mix of jazz standards soul songs and Ghanaian hymns This musical legacy shaped the worldview of Fela who was determined to bring Africa to the world and world to Africa In 1977 Fela recorded Zombie The song compared police officers to a mindless mass of people who would obey orders and brutalize the people The song was arouse for the military authorities who invaded Felas house and ransacked his home They beat everyone including Felas wife and children His mother was removed from a window and passed away the following year from injuries she sustained during the attack The invasion was the catalyst for Felas antigovernment activism He set up a commune and named it the Kalakuta Republic which doubled as an recording studio He also formed a political party and broke away from the Nigerian government and his songs began to concentrate more on social issues In 1979 he walked his mothers coffin to the juntas headquarters in Lagos and was beaten for his actions Fela was a warrior who was fearless and never surrendered to the status of the game He was aware that he was fighting a power that was unjust and inefficient yet he refused to give up He was the embodiment of an unstoppable spirit and in that sense he was truly heroic He was a man who defied every challenge and by doing so changed the course of the history of mankind His legacy continues to live on today He died in 1997 The death of Fela has been a crushing loss to his fans around the world He was 58 years old when he died and his funeral was attended by millions of people His family members said he had died of heart failure caused by AIDS Fela played a key role in the development and development of Afrobeat music Afrobeat music is a genre that blends traditional Yoruba rhythms and jazz with American funk His political activism led to arrests and beatings by Nigerian police but he refused be silenced He preached Africanism and urged others to fight corruption within the Nigerian military government Fela was an influential figure in the Black Power movement in the United States which inspired him to continue fighting for Africa In his later years Fela developed skin lesions and he lost weight dramatically These symptoms indicated he was suffering from AIDS He refused treatment and denied having AIDS In the end he succumbed Fela Kuti will be remembered for generations to come Kutis music makes a powerful political statement that challenges the status quo He was a revolutionary who aimed to change the way that Africans were treated He utilized his music as a method of social protest and fought against colonialism His music had a profound impact on the lives of a lot of Africans and hell be remembered for that Throughout fela accident attorney Fela worked with various producers to create his distinct sound Some of these producers included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell His music was a mixture of traditional African beats and American funk This led to him having an international audience He was a controversial personality in the music industry and often criticized Western culture Fela was wellknown for his controversial music and lifestyle 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 had a profound impact on Africans who lived their lives and helped them to embrace their culture