FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI

Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 – August 2, 1997) was a Nigerian musician, composer, bandleader, and fearless political activist. He is best remembered as the pioneer of Afrobeat, a powerful musical genre that fused traditional Yoruba rhythms with jazz, funk, highlife, and soul—used not just for entertainment, but as a weapon of truth against oppression.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Fela was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, into a prominent and politically active family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a renowned women’s rights activist and anti-colonial campaigner, while his father, Reverend Israel Ransome-Kuti, was an Anglican minister and school principal. This environment deeply shaped Fela’s political consciousness.

In 1958, Fela was sent to London to study medicine, but he soon switched to music and enrolled at Trinity College of Music, where he studied trumpet and classical music. While in the UK, he formed his first band, Koola Lobitos, laying the foundation for his future sound.

BIRTH OF AFROBEAT

In the late 1960s, during a trip to the United States, Fela was exposed to Black Power movements and radical thinkers such as Malcolm X. This experience transformed his worldview. When he returned to Nigeria, his music became more politically charged, and Afrobeat was fully born—long, hypnotic songs driven by heavy percussion, horns, call-and-response vocals, and sharp social commentary.

He formed bands like Nigeria 70, Africa 70, and later Egypt 80, performing marathon shows at his Lagos nightclub, The Afrika Shrine.

ACTIVISM AND  CONFLICT  WITH  THE STATE

Fela used his music to openly criticize military governments, corruption, colonial mentality, police brutality, and social injustice. Songs like “Zombie,” “Sorrow, Tears and Blood,” “Coffin for Head of State,” and “International Thief Thief (I.T.T.)” directly attacked those in power.

His outspokenness brought constant trouble. He was arrested over 200 times, beaten, and harassed by authorities. In 1977, Nigerian soldiers raided his commune, the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and brutally assaulting its residents. His mother was thrown from a window during the raid and later died from complications—an event that deeply scarred Fela.

PERSONAL  LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY

Fela rejected Western norms and openly embraced African traditional beliefs. He adopted the name “Aníkúlápó”, meaning “He who carries death in his pouch”, to express his defiance of fear and authority.

In 1978, he famously married 27 women in one day, many of whom were his dancers and singers, as a statement against societal hypocrisy.

LATER YEARS AND DEATH

Despite imprisonment and declining health, Fela continued making music and speaking out until the early 1990s. He died on August 2, 1997, in Lagos, from complications related to AIDS. Over one million people attended his funeral—one of the largest in Nigerian history.

LEGACY

Fela Kuti’s influence is global and timeless. Afrobeat has inspired generations of artists worldwide, including his sons Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, who continue his musical and political legacy. Beyond music, Fela remains a symbol of African resistance, freedom of expression, and fearless truth-telling.

Fela didn’t just make music—he spoke for the oppressed, challenged power, and turned rhythm into revolution. 🎷🔥