Musically speaking, he is, without any doubt, the greatest thing that came out of Africa. Olufela Ransome-Kuti (best known as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti) was born on October 15, 1938 in the Nigerian city of Abeokuta, the third of four children, to school principal, Reverend Israel Oladotun Ransome-Kuti and firebrand womens rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. In 1958 the young Fela left Nigeria for England, supposedly to study medicine but ended up enrolling at the Trinity College of music in London much to the consternation of his father, In 1963, Fela returned to Nigeria and formed the Koola Lobitos band, playing a special brand of highlife music. At the time, he worked briefly with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, he took his band for a tour of the United States and it was here he met a young American lady Sandra Smith who introduced him to the Black Panthers movement. This was where the radicalization of Fela began. Fela returned to Nigeria a new person and not only did he change the name of his band to Nigeria 70 (later Afrika 70), the theme of his music now centered around socio-political issues. His sound now carried a distinct flavour which emphatically comprised percussions, conga drums and heavy horns influence. This was what he introduced to the world as afro-beat and it caught on with the public following the 1971 release of Jeun Koku (Chop And Quench). This was where Fela really arrived on the music scene. With the mans immense music talent also came his extreme eccentricity. He named his residence the Kalakuta Republic and declared it independent of the federal Republic of Nigeria. This would put him at crossroads with the authorities but it only ended up strengthening the mans resolve and with songs like Why Blackman Dey Suffer, Confusion, Noise For Vendor Mouth, Kalakuta Show, Alagbon Close, Expensive Shit, he was a repeated thorn i the flesh of the authorities. By 1975 he has taken the Ransome off his name and replaced it with Anikulapo, (he who has death in his pouch) and by 1977 following the release of the epic Zombie, a vicious assault was launched on his Kalakuta Republic by agents of the state. An estimated 1,000 policemen and soldiers attacked and set fire to the Republic causing its residents to run right into their path as they were all beaten. Fela and his brother Dr Beo Ransome Kuti were beaten and their mother thrown out of the building from the first floor. She was to die the following year. It was also on the first anniversary of this incident that Fela married 27 of his female member troupe and then he would head off to Ghana from where he was eventually deported after inciting student riots. On September 30, `1979, he tried to deposit a coffin at Dodan Barracks as a parting gift to General Olusegun Obasanjo who was to hand over power the following day. By the 1980s Fela changed the name of his band to Egypt 80, and also introduced some innovations into his compositions and in 1984, he was arrested at the airport on his way to a concert tour and sentenced to five years in jail for a currency trafficking charge by the military government of general Muhammadu Buhari though he was released 20 moths later by the succeeding government of general Ibrahim Babangida. From the days of the Afrika 70 to the Egypt 80, Fela was known for epic hits like Yellow Fever, Authority Stealing, ITT, Ikoyi Blindness, Unknown Soldier, Sorrow Tears and Blood, Suffering And Smiling, Beasts Of No Nation, Coffin For Head Of State, Teacher Dont Teach Me Nonsense and Army Arrangement. His concerts always sold out and he never failed to dazzle with his dexterity on saxophone or keyboards as well as the way the commandeered the band just as he did with his performances at his Afrika Shrine nightclub just a stones throw from his residence at Ikeja, Lagos where he always performed his unreleased hits every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Years of heavy living as well as persistent state persecution was bound to eventually take its toll on him. He died on August 2, 1997 of a heart attack following complications from AIDS.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:59:10 +0000
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