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Fela Kuti The life of Fela is full contradictions, and that's part of what makes him so fascinating. People who love him will accept his flaws. His songs are typically longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a dense Pidgin English that is almost unintelligible. His music is influenced by Christian hymns and classical music. He also incorporates jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars. He was a musician Fela Kuti embodied that music can be used to transform the world. His music was used to call for political, social and economic change. His influence is evident to this day. Afrobeat is a style of music that combines African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music as well as funk. However, it has evolved into a new genre. His political activism was intense and he took action without fear. He utilized his music as a protest against corruption in the government and human right abuses. Songs like “Zombie”, “Coffin for the State Head” and others were blatant criticisms of Nigeria's dictatorship. He also used Kalakuta as a place to gather like-minded people and to promote political activism. The play features a huge portrait of his mother, who died in the past Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a prominent feminist and activist. She is played by actress Shantel Cribbs who has successfully depicted her importance in the life of Fela. The play also explores on her political activism. Despite her deteriorating condition she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead she opted for traditional treatments. He was a singer Fela Ransome-Kuti was a complex man who used his music to effect political change. fela accident attorney is known as the creator of afrobeat, an energetic mix of dirty funk and traditional African rhythms. He was a fierce critic of Nigeria's religious and political leaders. Growing up with an anti-colonial suffragist mom It's no surprise that Fela was interested in social commentary and politics. His parents wanted him to become medical doctor, but he had different plans. While he began in a more apolitical highlife vein, a trip to America changed his outlook forever. Exposure to Black power movements and leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver had a profound effect on his music. He adopted an African-centric philosophy which would guide and inform his later work. He was a writer. Fela met Black Power activists such as Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X during his time in the United States. The experience inspired him to create an activist movement known as the Movement of the People, and to write songs that expressed his thoughts on political activism and black consciousness. His ideas were expressed through the medium of yabis, which is a form of public speaking was referred to as “freedom of 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 his return to Nigeria Fela began to build his own club, the Shrine in Ikeja. The raids by officers and police were almost daily. His hangers-on from Mosholashi-Idi-Oro repopulated the area surrounding the club with hard drugs, including 'bana' and 'yamuna' (heroin). Despite this Fela maintained an uncompromising integrity. His music is a testament to the determination with which he fought authority and demanded that the popular will be reflected in official goals. It is a remarkable legacy that will endure for generations to come. He was a poet In his music, Fela used light-hearted sarcasm to discuss political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also mocked his fans as well as the government and himself. In these shows, he referred to himself as “the big dick in the little pond.” These jokes were not accepted lightly by the authorities, and he was frequently arrested and beatings in the hands of the authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo, which translates to “he carries his death in his pouch.” In 1977, Fela recorded a song called “Zombie,” which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who were able to follow orders without hesitation. The military was offended by the song who seized the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. During the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor by the window. In the decades following Nigeria's independence, Fela created Afrobeat, an genre of music that combined jazz and traditional African rhythm. His songs criticized European cultural imperialism and supported traditional African traditions and religions. He also criticized fellow Africans for disrespecting the traditions of their homeland. He stressed the importance of human rights and freedom. He was an artist of hip-hop. A saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was inspired by rock, jazz, and roll as well as traditional African music, chants, and music. After his trip to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas affected his work in a profound way. After his return to Nigeria, Fela began using his music as a political tool. He was critical of the government of his country and also argued against Western sensibilities that affected African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses, and was repeatedly arrested for his criticism of the military. Fela was also a proponent of marijuana in Africa, which is known as “igbo”. He often held public discussions at Afrika Shrine, also known as “yabis”, in which he would slam government officials and promote his beliefs about freedom of expression and the beauty of women's bodies. Fela also had a group of women in his youth, who danced at his shows and also served as vocal backups to him. He was a dancer Fela was a master of musical fusion. He incorporated elements from beat music and highlife to create his own distinct style. He influenced a generation of African musicians and was an outspoken critic of colonial rule. Despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta and seeing his mother murdered, Fela refused to leave the country. He died of complications related to AIDS in 1997. Fela was a prominent political activist who opposed the oppressive Nigerian Government and endorsed the principles of 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 criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports that have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the over-crowded public buses packed with workers “shuffering and smiling.” Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. The music of Fela was enhanced by his dancers, who were vibrant elegant, sensual, and beautiful. Their contributions were as important as Fela's lyrics. He was a political militant Fela Kuti used music as a tool to challenge unjust authorities. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, creating an ear that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals. He layers little riffs, long-lined melody lines and other elements until they explode in a blaze of energy. Fela like many artists who were afraid to speak about their politics was unflinching and uncompromising. He stood in the cause he believed in even when it was risky. His mother, Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti, was an avowed feminist who led the Nigerian Women's Movement. His father was a protestant minister as well as the president of the teachers union. He also established Kalakuta Republic – a recording studio and commune that became a symbol of the resistance. The government raided Kalakuta's Republic, destroying property and severely injured Fela. He refused to give up, however, and continued to speak against the government. He passed away from complications of AIDS in 1997. His son Femi continues to carry his musical and political legacy. He was a father Music is often thought of as a form of political protest, and musicians use lyrics to call for change. Some of the most powerful music demonstrations aren't supported by words. Fela Kuti is one the artists mentioned above and his music is heard today. He was the founder of Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop, influenced by artists such as 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 studied marxism and believed in the idea of a Nigeria which served its all of its citizens. Seun Fela's son is carrying the legacy of his father through the band Egypt 80. The band is touring the world in this year. The music of Egypt 80 combines the sounds of Fela and a scathing critique of power structures that still exist in the present. Black Times will be released at the end March. Many fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral at Tafawa Balewa square. The crowd was so large, that police had to block the entrance.