There is so much to talk about the late afrobeat king Fela Kuti. Ranging from his lifestyle, music, marriage, activism, illness and death. These items sound like a lot. But there is a multitude of other things about the life and music of Fela Kuti that defies understanding.
Fela was an open-minded and outspoken individual. Singers today including Burna Boy idolize his music style, but not his activism. An unaltered account of Fela Kuti and notable aspects of his life and music are below:
- Fela had political prestige all over the world.
- The singer renamed himself ‘Anikulapo’ because ‘Ransome’ means slaves.
- He resisted all medications given to him during his illness. Also, aside from his brother’s announcement that his death was due to complications from AIDS, there was no known proof.
- Fela has a criminal record more than any other Nigerian with over 200 arrests and jail time. Its an irony in a country where the politicians he sang against for corruption were always free and he was always in jail.
- He divorced all his 27 wives on the grounds that marriage brings jealousy. But he also didn’t like the culture of one man, one wife which the westerners preached.
- Wole Soyinka is the first cousin of Fela Kuti
- The 2007 movie ‘The Visitor’ shared clips from his ‘Open and Close’ and ‘Je’nwi Temi (Don’t Gag Me)’. Haaz Sleiman directly refers to Fela music as a piece of insightful African music in the film.
- The book by Uzodimma Iweala takes after the Fela ‘Beasts of no Nation’ album. The book was made into a film of the same in 2015.
- ‘Finding Fela’ is a documentary on the life of Fela Kuti.
- Over a million people from around the world were present at Fela’s funeral. It is still one of the highest numbers for a funeral in Nigeria till date.
- Felabration is an annual festival of the life of the singer by fans mostly in the US and Nigeria.
The Music of Fela Kuti
- Earliest songs by Fela was about love but in the 70s, that changed and he began singing more about social issues. Some of which had deep religious motives.
- Music-themed Nollywood Movie Lara and the Beat on Netflix
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- The Black Power movement has the biggest influence on Fela’s activist music style.
- He was signed to Universal Record label who still manages a catalogue of Fela’s life, music and influence.
- He and his band were ordered never to enter Ghana in 1978 after his performance of ‘Zombie’ in Accra led to a riot.
- America music band Antibalas formed around Fela’s Afrobeat style and his music band Africa 70.
- Broadway biographical musical about Fela was made in 1997 after his death. The production is titled ‘Fela!’ and was inspired by the 1982 book, ‘Fela, Fela! This Bitch of a Life’ by Carlos Moore. Afrobeat band Antibalas and Bill T. Jones played a great part.
- Tony Awards nominated Fela! 11 times in 2010.
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