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Fela Kuti Felas life is full of contradictions which is part of what makes him so fascinating People who love him will forgive the flaws in him His songs can last longer than 20 minutes and are sung in thick almost incomprehensible Pidgin English His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music He also includes jazz Yoruba and highlife with horns and guitars He was a musician Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to change the world He used his music to advocate for changes in the political and social spheres and his influence can be felt in the world even today His musical style Afrobeat is a synthesis of African and Western influences Its roots lie in WestAfrican hiplife music and funk however it has evolved into a distinct genre His political activism was ferocious and unflinching He utilized his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses Songs such as Zombie Coffin for the State Head and others were bold criticisms of Nigerias dictatorship The residence he lived in Kalakuta Republic as a hub for political activism and a gathering place for likeminded individuals The play includes a large portrait of his mother Funmilayo RansomeKuti who was a prominent feminist activist and pioneer of the feminist movement Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does an excellent job of expressing her significance in Felas life The play also highlights on her political involvement Despite her deteriorating health she was unable to get checked for AIDS and instead chose traditional treatments He was a musician Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex individual who utilized music to bring about political change He is known for creating Afrobeat which is a blend of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms He was a vocal critic of Nigerias religious and governmental leaders Felas mother was a suffragist who was anticolonial so it is not unusual that he is a fan for social commentary and politics His parents wanted him to be medical doctor but he had different plans While he began in a more political highlife style a trip to America would change his outlook forever The exposure to Black power movements and the leaders such as Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music He adopted a philosophy of PanAfricanism which would guide and inform his later work He was a writer Fela was introduced to Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X while in the United States This led him to create a political group called the Movement of the People and create songs that reflected the thoughts he had about political activism and black awareness His philosophies were expressed in public via the method of yabis which is which is a form of public speaking which was referred to as freedom of expression He also began to impose an ethical code of conduct on his band This included refusing to accept medication from Westerntrained physicians Fela returned to Nigeria and began building his own club in Ikeja The snares of officers and police were almost daily His MosholashiIdi Oro hangers repopulated the area surrounding the club with drugs of all kinds particularly bana and yamuna heroin Despite this Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity His music is a testament to the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives It is an influence that will last for generations He was a poet In his music Fela used lighthearted sarcasm to draw attention to political and economic issues in Nigeria He also mocked his audience the government and himself He also referred to himself in these shows as the big dick on the small pond The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was often detained imprisoned and beat by the authorities He eventually adopted the name Anikulapo which means he carries death in his pouch In 1977 Fela recorded a song called Zombie which compared soldiers to mindless zombies that obeyed orders without hesitation The military was irritated by this and conducted a raid on Kalakuta Republic They burned it down and beat its residents During the raid Felas mother was thrown out of her secondfloor window In the years following the independence of Nigeria Fela created Afrobeat an genre of music that combines jazz and traditional African rhythm His songs criticised European culture imperialism and supported African traditional religions and cultures He also criticized fellow Africans who violated their countrys traditions He emphasized 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 grew up listening to jazz rock and roll and traditional African music and chants which influenced his unique style of music After his trip to the United States in 1969 Fela met Sandra Smith an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas impacted his work dramatically The music of Fela became a political instrument upon his return to Nigeria He criticized the government in his country of birth and argued that African culture should not be submerged by Western sensibilities He also wrote about human rights violations and social injustices rights abuses He was arrested repeatedly for his criticism of the military Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana also known as igbo in Africa He often held public debates at Afrika Shrine which he referred to as yabis in which he would lampoon government officials and promote his views on freedom of expression and the beauty of womens bodies Fela had a harem which was a group of women who performed in his shows and also backing his vocally He was a dancer Fela was a master at musical fusion He combined elements of beat music and highlife to create his own distinctive style He influenced a generation African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule Fela refused to be detained and tortured by the Nigerian military junta as well having witnessed the murder of his mother He died of complications due to AIDS in 1997 Fela was a prominent political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and supported the principles Pan Africanism His albums including 1973s Gentleman focused on addressing oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties He also pushed for black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as nonAfrican imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa Shuffering and Smiling is the title track from an album from 1978 It describes crowded public buses filled with poor workers shuffering and smiling Fela was a fierce antireligious hypocrisy Felas music was enhanced by his dancers who were vibrant sensual regal and sensual fela lawyer to the performances were as important as the words Fela used He was a political militant Fela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge unjust authority He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African rhythms and modes making music that was ready for a fight Most of his songs begin as slow instrumentals gradually adding small riffs and melodies until they explode with a ferocious vigor In contrast to many artists who were afraid 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 RansomeKuti was a prominent feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Womens movement His father was a protestant minister and president of the teachers union He also founded Kalakuta Republic a recording studio and commune that was an emblem of the resistance The government raided the commune destroying the property and injuring Fela severely He refused to give up however and continued to voice his opinion against the government He died of complications from 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 action Musicians use lyrics to demand change Some of the most powerful music demonstrations arent accompanied by words Fela Kuti was one such artist and his music continues to ring out today He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat which combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies with funk and jazz being influenced by artists such as James Brown Funmilayo RansomeKuti Felas maternal grandmother was an activist and unionist who fought against colonialism She helped form the Abeokuta Womens Union and fought against genderdiscriminatory taxation laws She also studied marxism and believed in the idea of a Nigeria that was serving its the entire population Seun Felas Son continues to carry the legacy of his father through a band named Egypt 80 The band is on tour around the world this year The Egypt 80s music combines the sound of Fela with a scathing denunciation of the power structures that exist today The new album Black Times will be released in March A large number of fans attended the funeral held in Tafawa Balewa square The crowd was so large that the police had to shut down the entrance