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Fela Ransome-Kuti In addition to being a musician, Fela was a political activist and a Pan-Africanist. He was a defender of African culture, and was influenced by Black Power. He travelled to Ghana where he discovered new music influences and a new direction for his music. He composed songs that were meant to be political attacks against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that was systematically exploiting Africa. His music was radically revolutionary. Fela Ransome-Kuti was born Abeokuta In the 1970s and the 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his abrasive musical style and rebellious political statements. Many of his songs were direct criticisms against the Nigerian government, especially the military dictatorships that ruled the country in those years. He also criticised his fellow Africans for supporting dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, detained and jailed multiple times. He once claimed to be a “prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic” and founded his own political group known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP). Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mom. She was a feminist leader and women rights activist who is well-known around the world. She was a teacher as well as a member of Abeokuta Women's Union. She also assisted in the organization of some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close kin of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA. Ransome-Kuti was an avid advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She advocated the preservation of traditional African practices and religions and opposed European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was also a part of the African Renaissance movement. Despite his aversion to Western culture and the oppressive Nigerian government, Fela was able to gain a wide audience through his music. His music was a mix of jazz, Afrobeats and rock heavily in the style of American jazz clubs. He was a fierce opposition to racism. Fela's rebellion in Nigeria against the government led to many arrests and beatings. However, it did not deter his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he was again snubbed by the military government and arrested on dubious charges of smuggling currencies. The incident prompted international human-rights groups to intervene, and the government backed down. Kuti however, continued to record and perform up until his death in 1998. He was buried at the Kalakuta Cemetery in Abeokuta. The city is now home to the Fela Museum. He was a musician A passionate Pan-Africanist, Fela was determined to use 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 an anticolonialist who was a staunch leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother like his grandparents was a physician who was an anti-colonialist. Fela was raised 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 combines African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz. He formed his first group in London where he was able to develop his skills. On his return to Nigeria He created Afrobeat that combines agitprop lyrics with danceable rhythms. The new sound was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent. It was soon one of the most influential styles in African music. Fela's political activism in the 1970s put him in direct conflict with Nigerian regimes. The regime was wary of the power of his music to inspire people to rise up against their oppressors and challenge the status quo. Despite numerous attempts to silence him, Fela continued to make powerful and incredibly danceable music until the end of his life. He passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1997. The nightclub Fela's had in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also established the Kalakuta republic, a commune that was used as his recording studio and club. The commune also served as an area for political speeches. Fela often criticized the Nigerian government and world leaders such as U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha. His legacy continues to live on despite his death due to complications caused by AIDS. His pioneering Afrobeat sound continues to influence popular artists, including Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, and Jay Z, who have been citing him as an inspiration. He was a mysterious man who was a lover of music as well as fun and women. But his true 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. He was a master at mixing African culture with American jazz and funk. He also used his music as a way to protest against Nigeria's oppressive government. He continued to speak out and fight for his beliefs even though he was often detained and beaten. Fela was raised in the Ransome-Kuti clan, which included artists and anti-colonialists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a teacher and feminist and his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, helped to establish a union of teachers. He grew singing and listening to the traditional melodies and rhythms of highlife – an amalgamation of soul songs, jazz standards, and Ghanaian hymns. This musical legacy shaped the worldview of Fela, who was determined to bring Africa to the world and world to Africa. In 1977, Fela released Zombie, one of his songs that compared policemen to a rogue horde who would follow any order, and brutalize the populace. The song enraged the military authorities who surrounded the home of Fela and took over his property. They slayed everyone, including Fela's children and women. His mother was thrown out of a window and died from injuries sustained during the attack the following year. The invasion was the catalyst for the Fela's anti-government protests. He created a commune and named it the Kalakuta Republic, which doubled as an recording studio. He also created a political party and seceded from the Nigerian state, and his songs became more centered on social issues. In 1979, he dragged his mother's coffin into the headquarters of the ruling junta in Lagos and was beaten. Fela was a fearless and unbending warrior who never accepted the status quo. He knew that he was fighting against a power that was unjust and inefficient, yet he refused to give up. fela attorneys was the epitomization of an indefatigable spirit and, in this way, his story was truly heroic. He was a man who defied every obstacle and, by doing so, changed the course of history. His legacy continues to live even today. He died in 1997 The passing of Fela was a devastating blow to his fans around the world. He was 58 when he passed away and his funeral was attended by a large number of people. His family said that the cause of death was heart failure due to AIDS. Fela played a significant contribution to the development 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 encouraged others to resist the corrupt regime of the Nigerian military regime and advocated Africanism. Fela had a significant impact on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue fighting for Africa. In his later years, Fela suffered from skin swelling and weight loss that was dramatic. These signs clearly indicated that he was suffering from AIDS. He was an AIDS denier and refused treatment, but ultimately died from the disease. Fela Kuti will be remembered for generations to come. Kuti's music makes a powerful political statement that is a challenge to the status that is. He was a revolutionary who wanted to change the way Africans were treated. He made use of his music as a means of social protest and fought against colonialism. His music played a major role in changing the lives of a lot of Africans and the world will remember him for his contributions. Fela collaborated with numerous producers throughout his career to create his unique sound. One of these producers was EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell. His music was a mix of traditional African beats, American funk, and jazz, gaining him an international following. He was controversial in the world of music and was often critical about Western culture. Fela was famous for his controversial music and lifestyle. He smoked openly marijuana and had numerous affairs with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights the poor in Nigeria despite his extravagant lifestyle. His music influenced the lives of a variety of Africans and inspired them to embrace their own culture.