What Is Olufela Ransome-Kuti?

Olufela Ransome-Kuti popularly known as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was a legendary Nigerian musician, songwriter, stage performer, multi-instrumentalist, human rights activist, and political activist. Fela was the pioneer of Afrobeat, a musical genre solely associated with Nigerian music. He was a prolific songwriter with over 70 albums to his name. Fela was born October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Nigeria and died August 2, 1997, in Lagos, Nigeria. In 1958, Fela was sent to London by his father to study medicine, but he decided to study music at the Trinity College of Music, London. While he was there, Fela formed the band Koola Lobitos who played a fusion of American jazz, psychedelic rock, and funk with West African Highlife. In 1960, Fela married
“Fela and his band came to Los Angeles in 1969 as just another international act and left in 1970 prepared for revolution. After Fela and his band came back to Nigeria, the band was renamed The Afrika ’70, as lyrical themes changed from love songs to social issues.” Through his music, Fela became the voice of the people, directly addressing the problems the government afflicted on her citizens. Zombie, an album directed toward the federal government of Nigeria, actively spoke about the political injustice of the military governing regime. The music of Fela was propelled by the Black Panther movement. Fela’s music was made with social and political critique, and Nigerian slangs and precepts; he threw all of these together to create a genre that is conscious, battling against the military dictatorship of Nigeria at the time. Some of the songs were also focused on the vestiges of British colonial rule, which was happening across African countries, Fela urged his people to regain their independence and self-pride. The pioneering style of Afrobeat is identified with the Nigerian artist Fela Kuti, who was prestigious for his eccentric character, musical talent and involvement in post-colonial African politics. It is not unusual to surmise that Fela created his sound and artistic sensibility exclusively from Africa's rich musical heritage, yet as the documentary emphasizes, there were some
Afrobeat was created in the 70’s out of a blend of West African musical styles, such as Highlife and Yoruba rhythms, with American funk and jazz, and had a focus on chanted vocals and percussion. The genre comprises of chants, call-and-response vocals, and complex, interacting rhythms. Afrobeat also borrows heavily from the native "tinker pan," African-style percussion that Kuti procured while studying in Ghana with Hugh Masekela, under the uncanny Hedzoleh Sounds. The main figure in the advancement of Afrobeat is Fela Kuti who promoted the style both within and outside Nigeria. It was partially borne out of an endeavor to distinguish Kuti's music from the "soul music" of American artists like James Brown. The significance of the contribution of Tony Allen (Fela's drummer of twenty years) in the creation of Afrobeat cannot be exaggerated. Fela once famously stated that "without Tony Allen, there would be no