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Fela Kuti The life of Fela is full of contradictions, and that's a large part of what makes him captivating. People who love him are able to accept his flaws. His songs are often longer than 20 minutes and are performed in a dense Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with guitars and horns. He was a musician Fela Kuti embodied that music can be a powerful tool to transform the world. His music was used to argue for social, political and economic reforms. His influence is still present today. Afrobeat is a musical style that combines African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music and funk. However, it has evolved into a brand new genre. His political activism was fierce and he took action without fear. He made use of his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights abuses. Songs such as “Zombie”, “Coffin for the State Head” and others were bold critiques of Nigeria's regime. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as an area for political activism as well as an area for gathering with people who were like-minded. The production includes a massive portrait featuring his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs, who successfully communicated her importance in the life of Fela. The play also focuses on her political activism. Despite her condition deteriorating she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead she opted for traditional treatment. He was a singer Fela Ransome Kuti was a multifaceted person who used music to effect political change. He is credited with being the creator of afrobeat, an invigorating hybrid of funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders. Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mom It's no surprise that Fela was a fan of politics and social commentary. His parents hoped that he would eventually become a doctor but there were other goals for him. While he started in a more apolitical, highlife style, a trip to America would change his outlook forever. The exposure to Black political movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound influence on his music. He adopted a philosophy of Pan-Africanism, which would inform and guide his later work. He was a writer. Fela met Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X while in the United States. The experience inspired him to start an organization called the Movement of the People, and to compose songs that expressed his thoughts about black activism and political consciousness. His philosophies were expressed in public through the medium of yabis, an art of public speaking which is referred to as 'freedom of expression'. He also began to enforce a strict ethical code for his group, which included refusing to use medicine from Western-trained doctors. After his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club and the Shrine in Ikeja. Police and military officials were all the time. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with hard drugs particularly “bana” and “yamuna” (heroin). Despite this Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music demonstrates the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official objectives. It is an extraordinary legacy that will last for generations to be. He was a poet Fela's music employed sarcasm and humor to bring attention to economic and political issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans as well as the government and himself. He often referred to himself during these shows as “the big dick on the small pond.” The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly and he was frequently detained and imprisoned. He was also beating by the authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo, which translates to “he has his body in his purse.” In 1977, Fela recorded a song called “Zombie,” which compared soldiers to zombies who followed orders without question. This irritated the military who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. During the raid, Fela's mother was thrown out of her second-floor window. In the years following the independence of Nigeria, Fela created Afrobeat, a genre of music that combined jazz and native African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional religions and cultures. He also criticised fellow Africans for ignoring the traditions of their homeland. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom. He was a rapper A trumpeter, saxophonist, composer, and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was inspired by jazz, rock and roll as well as traditional African music, chants and music. After an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work dramatically. After his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a tool for political purposes. He criticised the government of his country and also argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human right abuses. He was frequently detained for his criticism of military. Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, referred to as “igbo” in Africa. He also held “yabis” (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine, where he would mock government officials and express his views regarding freedom of expression and the beauty of women's body. Fela also had an entourage of young women, who performed in his shows and served as vocal backups to his vocalists. He was a dancer Fela was a master of musical fusion. He fused elements of jazz, beat music, and highlife into his own distinctive style. He was a prominent African musician and vocal critic of colonial rule. Despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta and seeing his mother killed, Fela refused to leave the country. He died of complications related to AIDS in 1997. Fela was a well-known political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles Pan Africanism. His albums such as 1973's Gentleman, focused on addressing oppression from both government bodies and colonial parties. He also emphasized black power and decried Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from an album released in 1978, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the overcrowded public buses full of poor people “shuffering and smiling.” Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela's music was in turn complemented by his dancers who were lively, sensual, and regal. Their contributions to the show were as significant as the words of Fela. He was an activist for the political cause. Fela Kuti used music as a weapon to challenge unjust authorities. He adapted his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African styles and rhythms making a sound that was ready for fight. Most of his songs begin as slow-burning instrumentals. He layers notes, riffs and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy. Fela, unlike many artists who were scared to discuss their political beliefs, was fearless and unbending. He stood up for his beliefs even when it was dangerous to do so. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist leader of the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the president of the teachers' union. He also established Kalakuta Republic – a recording studio and commune that was a symbol of the resistance. The government raided the Kalakuta Republic which destroyed property and injuring Fela. He refused to give up, however, and continued to speak against the government. He died from complications of AIDS in 1997. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to continue his musical and political legacy. He was a father Music is often viewed by many as a form of political protest. Musicians use lyrics to call for change. But some of the most powerful music-related protests do not use words at all. Fela Kuti was one of them, and his music still rings out to this day. He pioneered Afrobeat that combines traditional African rhythms and harmonies, with funk and jazz in the style of artists like James Brown. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela's maternal grandmother, was an activist and unionist who was a fighter against colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women's Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also was a Marxist and believed that Nigeria should serve its whole population. Fela's son Seun continues his father's legacy, through the band Egypt 80 that's touring the world this year. The band's music combines the music and politics of Fela's day with a passionate critique of the same power structures that persist in the present. Black Times will be released at the end March. Many fans paid their respects at the funeral held in Tafawa Balewa square. fela attorneys was so big, that the police had to block the entrance.