9A: Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti was a musician, composer, and human rights activist. His name is pronounced “fay-la kooti.” His full name was Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti. Try saying it out loud!

He was born in Nigeria in 1938. (Question 1 — Where’s Nigeria?)

Fela created a style of music known as Afrobeat. It combines several elements of West African and American styles, including funk, jazz, and chanted vocals.

Afrobeat also comes a musical form called “highlife,” which originated in Ghana. Watch the first minute or two of this video for a glimpse of “highlife” music. Check out all the layers and rhythms — it’s complicated music.

70s Highlife Music of Ghana and Nigeria

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Afrobeat is its rhythms and percussion. It sounds like multiple beats at different speeds, superimposed over each other. His band often had 50 musicians and dancers. Many of his songs lasted 20 minutes.

Check out Fela’s song “Pansa Pansa.” (It takes a while for Fela’s songs to take off — be patient and listen as it unfolds and builds up.) Look at those great African outfits!

One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social ac...

Fela spoke out against the corrupt government in Nigeria. Sometimes this got him into trouble, but he kept speaking out. He believed everyone should be treated with respect. He was a hero to the poor. One friend said, “He was a tornado of a man. He loved humanity.” (Question 2 — Which other artists have we studied who spoke up for overlooked people?)

In the 2000s, a play and documentary were made about Fela. Here’s a short commercial.

Alex Gibney's Finding Fela (2014) is a sweeping portrait of the artist as guerilla warrior. Set to the insistent groove of Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti's rev...

Fela’s music has inspired musicians of many genres – including hip-hop, electronica, rock, and jazz. It’s also sampled a lot. (Question 3 — Do you remember what “sampled” means?) In 2019, a group of DJ’s and hip-hop artists used Fela’s music as the basis for a project they called “Fela Soul.” Here’s “Feel Good Inc.”

What do you get when you put together afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and rap pioneers De La Soul? You get Fela Soul; a musical tapestry created by Amerigo Gazaway...

Answers:

1 — Nigeria is a country in West Africa.

2 — Several artists on this website have written music about people who need a hand — Woody Guthrie, U2, and the Clash, to name a few.

3 — A “sample” is a snippet or bit of a song that’s used in other songs.