I remember growing up to the booming sounds of Fela's Saxophone coming from my dad's record player in our living room. If Fela wasn't playing, then it was either King Sunny Ade, or Michael Jackson. My dad loved music, and particularly had a likeness towards Fela because of the political views Fela spoke about through his songs. And of cos, the fact that he had a personal relationship with Fela. My dad had attended Fela's mom's elementary school in Abeokuta (a town in Ogun state, Nigeria) back in the late 40s. Although a couple of years younger than Fela, he had spoken about times when Fela would gather him and some of his friends together, and tell them about his musical ambitions.
In 1958, Fela was sent to London to study Medicine, but he went against the will of his parents, and studied music instead. His two brothers, Beko Ransome-Kuti, and Olukoye Ransone-Kuti went on to be renowned Doctors in Nigeria. Apart from being the founder of Afrobeat music and touring all around the world, Fela was the voice of the people. Going to jail multiple times (he was in jail for 20 months at a point) for verbally attacking the military dictatorship Government in Nigeria of the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Back in 1977, after releasing his Zombie record, which was a direct jab at the ruling Military power of the time, his Kalakuta Republic home was raided and burnt by unknown soldiers. I remember my Dad telling me that soldiers were part of the people that heavily bought the Fela record, and were even dancing away to it, until someone explained the Zombie Metaphor to them. And they got to know that Fela was actually indirectly comparing their methods of operation to that of a Zombie. Fela was beaten to a state of unconsciousness, and his mother (Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti) was thrown from a window during the attack from the Military. The injuries she sustained lead to her death.
The controversial life of this great musician and 'human right activist' started when he got back to Nigeria, after getting his Bachelors in Music from the 'Trinity College of Music' of London. While there, he had formed a band, The Koola Lobitos, and they played a fusion of Jazz and highlife in night clubs. When he got back to Nigeria in 1963, he worked as a producer for NBC (Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation) for a while. He later went off to neighbouring West African country, Ghana to fine-tune his music. It was more like he hadn't gotten a firm grip on what he actually wanted to do with his passion, so he moved around a lot. He took his band to U.S in 1969, and while there for a year was when he met the woman that would add the last element that had been missing in the Fela we know today.
While in Los Angeles, he met Sandra Smith. She was a partisan of the Black Panther Party, and she introduced him to the Black Power Movement. This association brought out the rebel nature that had always been in Fela; it gave the fire in him a direction. From then on, Fela's music always contained his political views. He removed the Ransome from his surname, and added Anikulapo instead, because the former was a slave name. He started speaking for the people and attacking the military government of the time with his music. Fela began enlightening Nigerians, Africans and the whole black race on their rights. He chose to sing in pidgin english as opposed to Queens english so as to be understood across strata of classes in the society. He had records like ITT (International Thief Thief) where he opened Nigerian's eyes to the corrupt practices of the then ITT Corporation vice-president, Moshood Abiola, and General Olusegun Obasonjo.Through his career, he released 11 albums, which include the popular- Expensive Shit; Zombie; Suffering & Smiling; and Sorrow, Tears & Blood, to name a few.Most of his children went the Afrobeat way too; Femi Kuti is the most successful of the them. Fela's music catalogue is handled by Universal Music Group worldwide, except in Nigeria and Japan, where other companies handle them. In 1997, His brother, Doctor Olukoye Ransome-Kuti announced Fela's death, and told the world on National TV that his brother had died from complications related to AIDS. He is dead, but he lives forever through the music he made, and the social impact he made in his country, and all over the world. Fela on Broadway has been an international success in theatres, and it was announced that an adaptation movie on his life is currently in the works.
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