Fela It's Not As Hard As You Think

Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, politician and musician was also a Pan-Africanist. He was a champion of African culture and was heavily influenced by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana where he encountered new musical influences and a fresh direction for his music. He composed songs that were intended to be political slurs against the Nigerian government, as well as a global order that exploited Africa in a systematic way. His music was uncompromisingly revolutionary. Fela Ransome-Kuti was a child of Abeokuta In the 1970s and 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his harsh style of music and rebellious political statements. Many of his songs were direct criticisms against the Nigerian government, especially the dictatorships of the military that ruled the country in those years. He also criticized fellow Africans who supported these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, arrested and jailed multiple times. He once called himself a “prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic” and founded his own political movement, the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP). The mother of Fela was Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a world-recognized feminist leader and women's rights activist. She was an active member of the Abeokuta Women's Union and worked as a teacher. She also assisted in the organization of some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist and was a part of the Nigerian Independence Movement. She was a close relative of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. Ransome-Kuti was a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She was a proponent of the preservation of traditional African practices and religions and opposed European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti was inspired by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was a member of the African Renaissance Movement. Fela's music was able, despite his opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to earn an international fan base. His music incorporated elements of Afrobeat rock, rock, and jazz and was heavily inspired by the beats of American jazz clubs. He was also a staunch anti-racist. Fela's protests in Nigeria against the government resulted in many arrests and beatings. However, this did not deter his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he again was beaten by the military and arrested under dubious charges. International human rights groups 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 at the Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The Fela Museum is located in the city. He was a musician A passionate Pan-Africanist Fela was determined to use his music as a means of social protest. With his funk-infused Afrobeat style, he decried the Nigerian government, while inspiring activists across the globe. Fela was an African born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti an anticolonialist who was a staunch leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother was also a physician and anti-colonialist like his grandparents. Fela's life work was to fight for the rights and freedoms of the oppressed. Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958, after he dropped out of medical school. He was determined to pursue his passion for the music. He began playing highlife, which is a popular music genre that fuses traditional African rhythms with Western instruments and jazz. He started his first band in London and was able to improve his abilities. When he returned to Nigeria He came up with Afrobeat, which combined agit-prop lyrics with danceable beats. The new style was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent. It was one of the most influential genres in African music. In the 1970s, Fela's political activism placed him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes. The regime feared that his music would motivate people to rebel against their oppressors, and challenge the status quo. Despite numerous attempts to disarm him, Fela continued to make incredible and extremely danceable music until the end of his life. He died in 1997 from complications arising from AIDS. The nightclub Fela's had in Lagos called Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also established the Kalakuta republic which was used as his recording studio and club. The commune was also used as a venue for political speeches. Fela often critiqued the Nigerian government and world leaders including U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha. His legacy lives in the wake of his passing due to complications related to AIDS. His Afrobeat style has influenced a variety of artists like Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z has also mentioned him as an influence. He was a mysterious figure who loved music women, music and having a good time But his real legacy lies in his tireless efforts to defend the oppressed. He was a Pan-Africanist The renowned Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a Pan-Africanist, bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people. He was an expert at mixing African culture with American jazz and funk. He also employed his music as a method to criticize Nigeria's oppressive government. Despite being the subject of numerous arrests and beatings and beatings, the musician continued to speak out and fight for his convictions. Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti clan that included anti-colonialists, artists, and artists. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist educator, while his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, helped form a teachers union. He grew up singing and listening to the traditional songs and the rhythms of highlife, which included jazz standards, soul songs and Ghanaian hymns. This musical heritage shaped the worldview of Fela who was determined to bring Africa to the world and world to Africa. In 1977, Fela released Zombie, a song that likened the police to a mindless horde that would obey any order and brutalize the populace. The song irritated military authorities who invaded his house and sacked his home. They beat everyone, including Fela's wife and children. His mother was thrown from a window and died from injuries sustained in the next year's attack. The war fueled Fela's anti-government activism. He created a commune known as the Kalakuta Republic. It also was a studio used for recording. He also formed a political party and resigned from the Nigerian government, and his songs began to concentrate more on social issues. In 1979, he carried his mother's coffin to the junta's headquarters in Lagos and was later beaten for his actions. Fela was a warrior who was unstoppable and never surrendered to the status established order. He knew that he was fighting against an unjust power and inefficient, and yet he never gave up. He was the epitome of an indefatigable spirit and in that sense, he was truly heroic. He was a man who defied all odds and changed the course of history. His legacy lives on to this day. He passed away in 1997. The death of Fela was a sour blow to his many fans around the globe. Millions of people attended his funeral. He was at 58 when he died. His family members claimed that he died due to heart failure due to AIDS. Fela was a pivotal figure in the development of Afrobeat, a type of music that combined traditional Yoruba rhythms with jazz and American funk. His political activism led to his arrest and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be silenced. He propagated Africanism and encouraged others to fight corruption in the Nigerian military government. Fela had a significant impact on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue his fight for Africa. In his later years, Fela suffered from skin lesions and dramatic weight loss. These symptoms were an obvious indication that he had AIDS. He refused to accept treatment and denied having AIDS. Then fela attorneys was over. Fela Kuti's legacy will live on for the next generation. Kuti's songs are a powerful declaration of political opinions that challenge the status quo. He was a revolutionist who aimed to change the way Africans were treated. He used music to combat colonialism and as a way of social protest. His music was influential in making a difference in the lives of many Africans and he will be remembered for his contribution to the cause. Through his entire career, Fela worked with various producers to create his distinct sound. Some of the producers he worked with included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt, British dub master Dennis Bovell and keyboardist Wally Badarou. His music was a blend of traditional African beats, American funk, and jazz, gaining him a global following. He was a controversial figure in the world of music and was often critical about Western culture. Fela was known for his controversial music and life style. He was a pot smoker and had a number of relationships with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria despite his extravagant lifestyle. His music influenced many Africans' lives and encouraged them embrace their own culture.