Kuti, Fela (1938–1997)

Born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Nigeria, on October 15, 1938, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, pioneer of Afrobeat music, was not only a singer, composer, and multiinstrument musician, he was also an intensely political artist who used his music as a weapon to fight against the oppression of Africans, as well as people all over the world. Kuti was born into a politically active, middle-class Yoruba family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, to whom Fela was deeply attached, was a leading feminist and ardent activist in Nigeria's anti-colonial movement. His father, I. O. Ransome-Kuti was a minister and school principal who served as the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers.

Shortly after moving to London in 1958 to study medicine, Kuti decided to pursue music instead, forming his first band, Koola Lobitos. Out of Kuti's experimental and unconventional inclinations emerged the hybrid Afrobeat sound, which blended Yoruba music with funk, jazz, and big band. By the late 1960s Koola Lobitos was touring in the United States, during which time Kuti became acquainted with the struggles of African Americans and the Black Power movement. He credits his American sojourn with opening his eyes to the global scale of black oppression, which in turn deepened his politicization.

On his return to Nigeria, Kuti quickly consolidated his musical presence in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, by forming the Kalakuta Republic, a self-declared independent state comprised of living quarters and a recording studio. His nearby club, The Shrine, where he performed regularly with his band, [Page 811]now named Africa 70 (and later renamed Egypt 80), became wildly popular as his music was greeted in Nigeria and beyond with great acclaim. Kuti's popularity derived in part from his willingness to expose Nigeria's repressive and corrupt governments, making him a target for governmental harassment.

In 1977, tensions between Kuti and the Nigerian government reached a fever pitch after the release of Kuti's album, Zombie, which scorned the military for its brutality. Government soldiers burned the Kalakuta Republic to the ground after looting it and beating its inhabitants. Kuti's mother was thrown from a window during the attack and later died as a result of her injuries.

Formed in 1979, Kuti's political party, MOP (Movement of the People), gave voice to the angst of millions of Nigerians who suffered at the hands of Nigeria's corrupt governments. Despite several failed attempts at entering into presidential politics and a lengthy prison sentence, Kuti continued to play a major role in the Nigerian political scene throughout the 1980s and remained an outspoken critic of the government until his death from AIDS-related health complications on August 2, 1997.

Kuti left behind a musical legacy spanning more than 40 years and a discography of close to 80 records. His most influential recordings include Na Poi; Shakara; Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am; Gentleman, Zombie; Sorrow, Tears and Blood; Shuffering and Shmiling; Unknown Soldier; I.T.T. (International Thief Thief); Original Sufferhead; Perambulator; Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense; Beasts of No Nation; and Underground System.