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Fela KutiFela is a man of contradictions. This is what makes him so intriguing. People who love him forgive the parts of him that aren’t perfect.His songs are usually longer than 20 minutes and are sung in a thick Pidgin English that is almost incomprehensible. His music is influenced primarily by Christian hymns and classical music. He also includes jazz, Yoruba, and highlife with horns and guitars.He was a musicianFela Kuti embodied the idea that music can be an instrument for change. His music was used to call for social, political and economic changes. His influence is still felt today. Afrobeat is a musical style that combines African and Western influences. Its roots are in West-African music as well as funk. However, it has evolved into a new genre.His political activism was fierce and he took action without fear. He used his music to protest against corruption in the government and human rights violations. Songs such as “Zombie”, “Coffin for the State Head” and others were shrewd criticisms of Nigeria’s dictatorship. He also made his home, Kalakuta Republic, as an area for political activism and an opportunity to meet people who were like-minded.The production includes a massive portrait of his late mother Funmilayo ransome-Kuti. She was a renowned feminist and activist. Shantel Cribbs portrays her and she does a great job of capturing the importance she played in the life of Fela. The play also explores on her political activism. Despite her condition deteriorating she refused to be tested for AIDS. Instead she took traditional treatments.He was a singerThe Fela Ransome Kuti was a complex man who employed his music to effect political change. He is known for creating Afrobeat, which is a blend of dirty funk with traditional African rhythms. He was a vocal critic of Nigeria’s governmental and religious leaders.Being raised by an anti-colonial suffragist mother and a feminist father, it’s not a surprise that Fela was a fan of political and social commentary. His parents wanted him to be a physician however, he had other plans.While he initially sounded in a more apolitical highlife vein, a trip to America changed his outlook forever. The exposure to Black power movements and the leaders like Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver would have a profound impact on his music. He embraced the Pan-Africanism philosophy, which would guide and inform his later work.He was a songwriterWhile in the United States Fela was introduced to Black Power activists like Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. The experience inspired him to create an organization called the Movement of the People and create songs that reflected the thoughts that he held about political activism and black awareness. His philosophies were expressed in public through the way of yabis, which is a form of public speaking which is referred to as ‘freedom of expression’. He also began to establish strict moral codes for his group, which included refusing to take medications from doctors trained in the West.Fela returned to Nigeria and started building his own club in Ikeja. Police and military officials were every day. His Mosholashi-Idi Oro hangers were able to repopulate the area surrounding the club with hard drug particularly “bana” and “yamuna” (heroin). Fela kept his integrity in spite of this. His music demonstrates the determination with which he challenged authority and demanded that popular ambitions be reflected in official goals. It is an enduring legacy that will endure for generations.He was a poetFela’s music utilized sarcasm as well as humor to bring attention to the political and economic issues in Nigeria. He also ridiculed his audience, the government, and himself. He also referred to himself in these shows as “the big dick on the little pond.” The authorities were not taking his jokes lightly, and he was frequently detained and detained, as well as beaten by the authorities. He was eventually given the name Anikulapo which means “he carries his death in his bag.”In 1977, Fela recorded a song called “Zombie,” which compared soldiers to mindless zombies who obeyed orders without hesitation. This irritated the military and they raided the Kalakuta Republic, burning it down and beating its occupants. In the course of the raid, Fela’s mother was thrown from her second-floor window.In the decades following Nigeria’s independence, Fela created Afrobeat, the genre of music that combines jazz with native African rhythm. His songs attacked European cultural imperialism and defended African traditional beliefs and cultures. He also criticized fellow Africans who sabotaged their nation’s traditions. He also stressed the importance of human rights and freedom.He was a rapperFela Anikulapo Kuti, a saxophonist and trumpeter, was born in Abeokuta in 1938. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He was influenced by jazz, rock and roll and also traditional African music, chants, and music. After an excursion to the United States in 1969, Fela met Sandra Smith, an activist from the Black Power movement and her ideas influenced his work profoundly.fela lawyer was an instrument of political power upon his return to Nigeria. He criticised the government of his native country and also argued against Western sensibilities that impacted African culture. He also wrote about social injustices and human rights abuses and was frequently detained for his criticism of the military.Fela also openly advocated the use of marijuana, also known as “igbo” in Africa. He held “yabis” (public discussions) at the Afrika Shrine where he would mock government officials and express his views on the freedom of expression as well as the beauty of women’s bodies. Fela also had a group of young women, who danced at his shows and served as vocal backups to him.He was a dancerFela was a master at musical fusion. He fused elements of beat music, and highlife to create his own unique style. He influenced a generation of African musicians and was a vocal critic of colonial rule.Fela refused, despite being tortured and arrested by the Nigerian military junta as as witnessing the murder of his mother. He died in 1997 from AIDS-related complications.Fela was an activist for the political cause who was critical of the oppressive Nigerian government and believed in the principles of Pan Africanism. His albums, including 1973’s Gentleman, focused on addressing oppression from both colonial and government parties. He also emphasized black power and criticized Christianity and Islam as non-African imports, which have been used to divide the people of Africa. The title track from a 1978 album, Shuffering and Shmiling, describes the overcrowded public buses full of poor people “shuffering and shmiling.” Fela was a fierce opponent of religious hypocrisy. Fela’s music was in turn complemented by his dancers, who were lively elegant, sensual, and beautiful. Their contributions to the performance were as significant as the words Fela used.He was a political activistFela Kuti was an activist who used music to challenge oppressive authority. He transformed his knowledge of American jazz and funk to African patterns and rhythms, creating music that was ready for a fight. Most of his songs begin with slow-burning instrumentals, then adding short-lined melodies and riffs until they explode with a ferocious vigor.In contrast to many artists who were afraid to publicly discuss their political views, Fela was fearless and uncompromising. He stood up for what he believed in even when it was risky. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist who was the leader of the Nigerian Women’s Movement. His father was a protestant minister and the head of the teachers’ union.He also established Kalakuta Republic – a recording studio and commune that was a symbol of the resistance. The government raided the commune, destroying the property and injuring Fela severely. He refused to back down, though and continued to speak out against the government. He passed away in 1997 of complications caused by AIDS. He was succeeded by his son, Femi, who continues to carry on his music and political legacy.He was a fatherMusic is often seen as a form of political protest, and musicians use lyrics to solicit change. But some of the most effective musical protests don’t use words at all. Fela Kuti is one the artists mentioned above and his music rings today. He was the first to pioneer Afrobeat music, which blends traditional African rhythms and harmonies with jazz and hip-hop and was being influenced by artists like James Brown.Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela’s activist mother. She was a unionist and opposed colonialism. She helped form the Abeokuta Women’s Union and fought against gender-discriminatory taxation laws. She also studied marxism and believed in the idea of a Nigeria which served its all of its citizens.Fela’s son Seun continues his father’s legacy, through a band called Egypt 80 that’s touring the world this year. The band’s music blends the sounds and political stances of Fela’s time with a passionate critique of the same power structures that continue to exist today. The new album, Black Times, will be released in March. Many fans attended the funeral and paid their tributes at Tafawa Balewa Square. The crowd was so big that police had to block the entrance to the venue.