Fela kuti brief biography sample
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Fela Kuti
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Who Was Fela Kuti?
Beginning in the s, Fela Kuti pioneered his own unique style of music called "Afrobeat." Rebelling against oppressive regimes through his music came at a heavy cost. Kuti was arrested times and endured numerous beatings, but continued to write political lyrics, producing 50 albums before he died on August 2, , in Lagos, Nigeria.
Early Years
Musician and political activist Fela Kuti was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on October 15, , in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Kuti was the son of a Protestant minister, Reverend Ransome-Kuti. His mother, Funmilayo, was a political activist.
As a child, Kuti learned piano and drums and led his school choir. In the s, Kuti told his parents that he was moving to London, England, to study medicin, but wound up attending the Trinity College of Music instead. While at Trinity, Kuti studied classical music and developed an awareness of American jazz.
Songs: Activism Through Music
In , Kuti formed
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Almost three decades after his passing in , Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and activist who created the Afrobeat music movement, remains the subject of global obsession.
The self-proclaimed “Black President” is everywhere, like an omnipresent deity. His presence is felt, and his legacy is honoured, through contemporary showcases from Lagos to London, Bonn to Brazil.
Read more: The daughters and sons of Fela in African Pop
Among his many afterlife manifestations are reissues of his music, like the Fela Vinyl Box Set #6 curated by British actor and DJ Idris Elba; the display of his life, activism and music at the Rébellion Afrobeat exhibition in Paris in ; the inclusion of his most famous song Zombie in US rap star Jay-Z’s Songs for Survival playlist for the Black Lives Matter protests; the documentary Finding Fela by US Oscar-winner Alex Gibney; and his revival in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Fela!.
Fela’s album The ’69 Los Angeles Se
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Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October – 2 August ), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.
HMV Magazine ranked him #46 on a list of the top most influential musicians of the 20th century.
The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional African chants and rhythms. It is characterized by having African-style percussion, vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The endless groove is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, shekere, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song. His band was notable for featuring two baritone saxophones, whereas most groups using this instrument only use one. This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip-hop. Some elements often present in Fela