Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti), popularly known as Abami Eda, Baba 70 and The black president, was born into the Ransome-Kuti family, an upper-middle-class Nigerian family, on 15 October 1938 in Abeokuta, which at the time was a city in the British Colony of Nigeria.
His mother, Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was an anti-colonial feminist, and his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, was an Anglican minister, school principal, and the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. His brothers Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, both medical doctors, were well known nationally. Kuti was a first cousin to the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, as they are both descendants of Josiah Ransome-Kuti, who is Kuti's paternal grandfather and Soyinka's maternal great-grandfather. Fela KUTI, died on the 2nd August 1997.
Fela was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, an African music genre that combines traditional Yoruba percussion and vocal styles with American funk and jazz. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers". AllMusic described him as a musical and sociopolitical voice of international significance.
After early experiences abroad, Fela and his band Africa 70, shot to stardom in Nigeria during the 1970s, during which he was an outspoken critic and target of Nigeria's military juntas. In 1970, he founded the Kalakuta Republic commune, which declared itself independent from military rule. The commune was destroyed in a 1978 raid. He was jailed under the government of Muhammadu Buhari in 1984, but released after 20 months. He continued to record and perform through the 1980s and 1990s. Since his death in 1997, reissues and compilations of his music have been overseen by his son, Femi Kuti.
While he was alive, Fela was a force that moves the feet of people to his beat, conjuring something mystical that brought vigor and an estactic soul to the listeners of his songs.
A few of the songs are;
1. It’s Highlife Time (with Koola Lobitos)
2. My Lady Frustration
3. Ye Ye De Smell (live with the Africa ’70 and Ginger Baker)
4. Roforofo Fight
5. Gentleman
6. Expensive Shit
7. Lady
8. No Agreement
9. Coffin for Head of State
10. Africa, Center of the World (with Roy Ayers)
In Fela's interview with The Guardian on Thursday 5th may 2016, he gave background insight on the muse and the reason behind the songs listed above.
The new Afrika Shrine which is also known as Fela Shrine/Kalakuta Republic is a tourist attraction in Lagos. The Afrika Shrine is one of the popular entertainment and tourist centres in Lagos. It is an open-air music and entertainment centre which was built to honour late Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
Fela Shrine also hosts the yearly Felabration. Felabration is a yearly music festival in honour of the late king of Afro music Fela Anikulapo Kuti. You might wonder why it's called a shrine of all things, Fela was fond of calling his performance ground a Shrine. He often made some ritual to the deities and some of the greatest black men that have ever lived. He starts by asking the crowd for a minute of silence. The name was however adopted for all his music performance venue worldwide.
FELA ANÍKÚLÁPÓ KUTI was a force to be reckoned with in the musical industry, he was a man who followed his heart, his voice and drove with passion.
He lived well and his legacy lives on.
