{"id":58887,"date":"2018-07-20T10:10:39","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T09:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/?p=58887"},"modified":"2022-07-28T20:14:05","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T19:14:05","slug":"fela-kuti-bio-life-death-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/fela-kuti-bio-life-death-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Fela Kuti Biography, Death And Other Facts You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
Fela Kuti (Full Name: Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, 15 October 1938 <\/sup>\u2013 2 August 1997 ) was a Nigerian singer, composer, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, political activist, and Pan-Africanist best known as the pioneer of Afro-beat.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fela Kuti is not popular for nothing: his name is synonymous with Afrobeat (a blend of jazz, soul, funk, improvised vocal, and old Nigerian\/Ghanaian highlife); his genre is closely associated with protest; and he is considered the godfather to many notable African artists and Nigerian musicians like Davido<\/a>, Tekno<\/a>, Wizkid<\/a>, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage<\/a>, and Yemi Alade<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the years, a whole lot of artists have picked up on the musical success of Fela Kuti, who earned himself so much admiration for\u00a0bringing the African culture and its concerns to the world stage and\u00a0openly condemning the corrupt military dictatorships in Nigeria at the time through his controversial songs.<\/p>\n To date, the Afrobeat legend is rated as the king of Nigerian music and one of Africa’s most essential voices who stood for truth and justice in the 60s and 70s.<\/p>\n The charismatic multi-instrumentalist was the son of Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti and Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who welcomed him into the world on October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.<\/p>\n Kuti was named Olufela Olusegun Oludotun\u00a0Ransome-Kuti at birth by his parents. His father who was a school teacher and an Anglican minister while his mother was an anti-colonial activist.<\/p>\n Born into a wealthy family, the musician had a comfortable childhood as well as access to the best education at the time. He had his secondary school education at Abeokuta Grammar School. Upon his graduation, Fela’s parents sent him to Britain to pursue a career in Medicine.<\/p>\n On getting to Britain in 1958, the music legend changed his mind and switched to music. He was tutored at the renowned Trinity College of Music, where he particularly developed a strong interest in the trumpet. It was while Fela was still studying in London that he launched his first band called Koola Lobitos. The musical group, at the time, used to play a blend of highlife and jazz with native African drums.<\/p>\n The Afrobeat icon was not the only child of his parents, as he has two brothers whose names are\u00a0Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and Beko Ransome-Kuti who are both respected medical doctors in Nigeria.<\/p>\n After a successful musical education in London, Fela Kuti decided to return to Nigeria. He eventually did in 1963 and later met Sandra Izsadore (also known as Sandra Smith) during a tour of the United States in 1969.<\/p>\n Fela’s meeting with the Black Panther Party member had a significant influence on him and eventually gave rise to his decision to switch from his gleeful music pattern to a volcanic and political rebellious-patterned Afrobeat genre.<\/p>\n His first move upon his arrival to Nigeria was to change the name of his band to The Afrika’70. He later adopted the name “Anikulapo” as a replacement to his surname “Ransome”. And as time passed, his songs began to reflect more social issues than love lyrics.\u00a0At that moment, the Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was born.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fela Kuti’s band was famed for its call-and-response within the chorus pattern and for performing with two or more guitarists, two baritone saxophones and at times,\u00a0two bassists.<\/p>\n Besides the simplicity of the musician’s songs, they are also known to be very long (each song lasts between 10\u201315 minutes). Kuti’s songs were mostly\u00a0sung in Nigerian pidgin English, though a few of them are performed in the Yoruba language as well.<\/p>\n Talking about his instruments, the music star usually performs with the keyboards, trumpet, saxophone, electric guitar, and drum solo.<\/p>\n Kuti, until the time of his death, recorded over 20 albums which include\u00a0Open & Close<\/em> (1971),\u00a0Fela Fela Fela<\/em> (1969),\u00a0Afrodisiac<\/em> (1973),\u00a0Expensive Shit<\/em> (1975), Fela’s London Scene<\/em> (1971),\u00a0No Agreement<\/em> (1977),\u00a0Beasts of No Nation<\/em> (1989),\u00a0Why Black Man Dey Suffer<\/em> (1971),\u00a0Confusion<\/em> (1975),\u00a0Black President<\/em> (1981),\u00a0The Best Best of Fela Kuti<\/em> (1999),\u00a0Original Sufferhead<\/em> (1981),\u00a0Live!<\/em> (1971),\u00a0Zombie<\/em> (1976),\u00a0Shakara<\/em> (1972),\u00a0Confusion Break Bones<\/em> (1990),\u00a0Sorrow Tears and Blood<\/em> (1977), and much more.<\/p>\n Fela Kuti was a firm believer in polygamy and in accordance with his beliefs, he ended up marrying several women at the same time in the year 1978.<\/p>\n His first wife was called Remilekun (Remi) Taylor. He got married to her in 1960 and their union was blessed with three children; Femi Kuti<\/a>, Sola Kuti (who died in 1997), and Yeni Kuti. Fela’s other children who came from his several relationships with other women are\u00a0Kunle Anikulapo Kuti,\u00a0Omosalewa Anikulapo Kuti (a Nigerian-based Lawyer),\u00a0Motunrayo Anikulapo Kuti (a dancer), and Seun Kuti (a musician).<\/p>\nWho Was Fela Kuti?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Musicology<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Fela Kuti’s Wife and Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n