Fela Ransome-Kuti In addition to being a musician, Fela was a political activist and a Pan-Africanist He was a supporter of African culture, and was influenced Black Power He travelled to Ghana where he encountered new musical influences and a fresh direction for his music He composed songs that were intended to be political attacks on the Nigerian government, as well as an international order that exploited Africa regularly His music was adamantly radical Fela Ransome-Kuti was born in Abeokuta In the 1970s and 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his harsh style of music and shrewd political declarations Many of his songs were direct slams against the Nigerian government, specifically the military dictatorships that ruled the country in those years He also criticized his fellow Africans for supporting dictatorships Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly He was arrested, beaten and incarcerated numerous times He once claimed to be an "prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic" and founded his own political movement called the Movement for the Advancement of the People MOP Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mother She was a feminist leader and women's rights activist well-known around the world She was an active member of the Abeokuta Women's Union and worked as a teacher She also assisted in organising the first preschool classes in Abeokuta She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian Independence Movement She was a close cousin of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka Ransome-Kuti was a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism She was a staunch supporter of socialism and Pan-Africanism Ransome-Kuti was influenced in her work by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver She was also a member of the African Renaissance movement Fela's music was able, even in the face of opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to garner a worldwide following His music incorporated elements from Afrobeat and rock jazz, and was heavily in the style of American jazz clubs He was a fierce anti-racism activist The Nigerian rebel Fela's revolt against the government resulted in many arrests and beatings However, this did not stop his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe In 1984, he was once again attacked by the military government and arrested on dubious charges of currency smuggling International human rights groups intervened following the incident, and the government was forced to back down Kuti however, he continued to record and perform until his death in 1998 He was buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta The city is now home to the Fela Museum He was a musician A fervent Pan-Africanist, Fela was adamant about using his music as a method of social protest He criticized the Nigerian Government while inspiring activists all over the world Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti who was a fervent anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women's movement His mother was also a doctor and anti-colonialist, as were his grandparents Fela was taught to fight for the rights of the oppressed and that became his passion in life Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958 after dropping out of medical school to pursue his passion for music He began playing highlife music, a cult genre that blends African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz He formed his first group in London and was able to develop his abilities in the capital city of Europe When he returned to Nigeria he created Afrobeat that combined danceable beats and lyrics written in agitprop The new style was popular across Nigeria and across Africa, becoming one of the most influential forms of African music In the 1970s, Fela's political activism placed him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes The regime feared that his music would inspire people to rebel against their oppressors, and also to challenge the status quo Despite repeated attempts to silence him, Fela continued to make fierce and supremely danceable music until the end of his life He passed away in 1997 due to complications arising from AIDS While https//vimeocom/708086194 was alive, crowds of people were always out the door to watch him perform at his nightclub in Lagos, called Afrika Shrine He also built an enclave, the Kalakuta Republic, which functioned as his recording studio, club, and spiritual space The commune also was an area for political speeches Fela critiqued the Nigerian government, as well as world leaders like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and PW Botha, South African Prime Minister Botha Despite his death from AIDS-related complications his legacy lives on His pioneering Afrobeat sound continues to influence the popular artists like Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, and Jay Z, who have been citing him as an inspiration He was an enigmatic man who was a lover of music as well as fun and women But his greatest legacy is his unwavering efforts to fight for the marginalized He was a Pan-Africanist The renowned Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a Pan-Africanist, bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people A master at blending elements from African culture with American jazz and funk as well, he also utilized his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government He continued to speak up and stand up for his beliefs, despite being arrested and beaten frequently Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti clan that included anti-colonialists, artists, and artists His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a feminist and educator as was his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti helped form an union of teachers He grew up listening to and singing the classic melodies of highlife, an intermixing of jazz standards, soul ballads, and Ghanaian hymns This musical heritage shaped the worldview of Fela, who was determined to bring Africa to the world and world to Africa In 1977, Fela released Zombie, an album that compared the police to a mindless horde who would follow any order, and then savagely attack the public The song was arouse for the military authorities who invaded the house of Fela and sacked his compound They beat everyone, including Fela's wife and children His mother was thrown from a window, and died the following year of injuries she suffered in the assault The war fueled the Fela's anti-government protests He established a commune and named it the Kalakuta Republic, which doubled as a recording studio He also founded a party and resigned from the Nigerian government, and his songs started to focus more on social issues In 1979, he walked his mother's coffin to the ruling junta's headquarters in Lagos and was arrested for his efforts Fela was an ardent warrior and never bowed to the status of the game He knew that he was fighting an opponent that was unjust and inefficient, and yet he never gave up He was the embodiment the spirit of determination and in this manner, his story was truly heroic He was a man that was able to overcome all odds and change the course of history His legacy lives on to this day He passed away in 1997 The death of Fela was a blow to his many fans across the world He was 58 when he passed away, and his funeral was attended by millions of people The family of the deceased said that the cause of death was heart failure caused by AIDS Fela played a key part in the creation and evolution of Afrobeat music Afrobeat music is a genre that blends traditional Yoruba rhythms, jazz and American funk His political activism led to him being detained and beaten by Nigerian police He refused to be silenced He urged others to fight the corrupt regime of the Nigerian military regime and preached Africanism Fela was also a major influencer on the Black Power movement in the United States, which inspired him to continue fighting for Africa In his later years, Fela suffered from skin lesions and dramatic weight loss These signs clearly indicated that he was suffering from AIDS He refused treatment and denied having AIDS Eventually, he succumbed Fela Kuti's legacy is sure to live on for the next generation Kuti's songs are a powerful statement of political opinion that challenge the status quo He was a revolutionary who sought to change the way Africans were treated He used music to fight against colonialism as well as a method of social protest His music had a profound impact on the lives of many Africans and he'll always be remembered for that Fela worked with a variety of producers throughout his career to create his unique sound Some of these producers included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell His music was a blend of traditional African beats and American funk This led to him having an international audience He was a polarizing person in the world of music and was often critical of Western culture Fela was well-known for his controversial music and life style He smoked marijuana openly and had a number of affairs with women He was an activist who fought for the rights the poor in Nigeria despite his sexy lifestyle His music had an impact on the lives of a lot of Africans and inspired them to embrace their own culture