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Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, an activist and musician was also a Pan-Africanist. He was a supporter of African culture, and was influenced by Black Power. He travelled to Ghana where he discovered new musical influences and a fresh direction for his music. He composed songs that were designed to be political slams against the Nigerian government and a world order that was systematically exploiting Africa. His music was uncompromisingly radical. Fela Ransome-Kuti was born in Abeokuta Fela ransome-Kuti was known in the 1970s and 80s for his rebellious political views and aggressive music. Many of his songs were direct critiques of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships that were in power during that time. He also criticized fellow Africans who backed these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was arrested, beaten and jailed multiple times. He once claimed to be an “prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic” and founded his own political group known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP). Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mom. She was a feminist leader and women's rights activist known throughout the world. She was a member of the Abeokuta Women's Union and worked as a teacher. She also assisted in organising the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close kin of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. Ransome-Kuti was a staunch supporter of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She was a proponent of the preservation of traditional African religions and lifestyles, and she opposed European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by Malcolm X, Eldridge Clever and the Black Power Movement. She was also a participant of the African Renaissance movement. Fela's music was able, even in the face of opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to gain an international fan base. His music was a mixture of jazz, Afrobeats and rock and heavily influenced by American jazz clubs. He was a staunch anti-racism activist. Fela's rebellion in Nigeria against the government resulted in numerous arrests and beatings. However, it did not deter him from continuing to tour the United States and Europe. In 1984, he again was attacked by the military, and was detained under dubious charges. International human rights groups intervened following the incident, and the government was forced to back down. Kuti however, continued to record and perform up until his death in 1998. He was buried at Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The city is now home to the Fela Museum. He was a musician Fela, a committed Pan-Africanist, believed in using music as a means of social protest. Using his funk-infused Afrobeat style, he decried the Nigerian government while inspiring activists from all over the world. Fela was a Nigerian born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, an anticolonialist and leader in the Nigerian women’s movement. His mother was also a doctor and anti-colonialist like his grandparents. Fela was raised to fight for the rights of the oppressed and this became his life's work. Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958 after he dropped out of medical school in order to pursue his love of music. He began playing highlife, which is a popular music genre that blends traditional African rhythms with Western instruments, as well as jazz. He formed his first group in London and was able to perfect his abilities in the capital city of Europe. When he returned to Nigeria, he developed Afrobeat that combines lyrics written in agit-prop with danceable beats. The new sound became popular in Nigeria and across the continent, and became one of the most influential forms of African music. In the 1970s the political activism of Fela put him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes. The regime was wary of his music's ability to motivate people to stand up against their oppressors and overturn the status quo. Despite repeated attempts to disarm him, Fela continued to make fierce and supremely danceable music until the end of his life. He passed away from complications related to AIDS in 1997. Fela's nightclub in Lagos known as Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also constructed the Kalakuta republic which was used as his recording studio and club. The commune also served as an area for political speeches. Fela often criticized the Nigerian government and world leaders such as U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha. Despite his death from AIDS-related complications, his legacy lives on. His Afrobeat sound has inspired a number of artists like Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z also credits him as a source of inspiration. He was an enigmatic man who loved music and fun, as well as women. But his true legacy is his relentless efforts to fight for the oppressed. He was a Pan-Africanist The renowned Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a Pan-Africanist, bringing his unique musical style to the cause of the people. A master of blending elements of African culture with American jazz and funk as well, he also utilized his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government. He continued to speak out and fight for his beliefs even though he was often detained and beaten. Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti clan that included artists and anti-colonialists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a feminist educator as was his father Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti, assisted in to establish a union of teachers. He was a singer and listened to the traditional tunes and rhythms of highlife – which included jazz standards, soul songs, and Ghanaian hymns. His worldview was formed by this musical legacy. He was determined to bring Africa and the world together. In 1977, Fela released Zombie, a song that likened the police to a rogue horde who would obey any order and brutalize the populace. The song was arouse for the military authorities who surrounded Fela's house and ransacked his property. They beat all of them, including Fela's wives and children. His mother was thrown from an open window and died of injuries sustained in the next year's attack. The invasion fueled Fela’s anti-government activism. He established a commune called the Kalakuta Republic. It also served as a studio for recording. He also formed a political party and resigned from the Nigerian government, and his songs began to concentrate more on social issues. In 1979, he walked his mother's coffin to the ruling junta's headquarters in Lagos and was later beaten for his actions. Fela was a fearless and unbending warrior who never accepted the status of the game. He was aware that he was fighting a power that was unjust and inefficient, yet he did not give up. He was a symbol of an unstoppable spirit, and in that way it was truly heroic. He was a man that was able to overcome all odds and change the course history. His legacy lives in the present day. He died in 1997 The passing of Fela was a sour blow to his many fans across the globe. Many thousands of people attended his funeral. He was aged 58 when he died. The family of the deceased said that the cause of death was heart failure as a result of AIDS. Fela played a key part in the creation and development of Afrobeat music Afrobeat music is a genre that blends traditional Yoruba rhythms, jazz and American funk. His political activism led to his arrest and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be silenced. He propagated Africanism and encouraged others to resist corruption within the Nigerian military government. Fela was also a major influencer on the Black Power movement in the United States, which inspired him to continue fighting for Africa. In his later years, Fela suffered from skin swelling and weight loss that was dramatic. fela case settlements were an evident sign that he had AIDS. He was an AIDS denier and he refused treatment, but eventually passed away from the disease. Fela Kuti's legacy will live on for generations to come. Kuti's music is a powerful political statement that challenges the status of the art. He was a revolutionist who aimed to change the way Africans were treated. He used his music as a tool for social protest and struggled against colonialism. His music had a significant impact on changing the lives of many Africans and the world will remember him for his contribution to the cause. Fela collaborated with numerous producers throughout his career to develop his unique sound. Some of the producers he worked with included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt, British dub master Dennis Bovell and keyboardist Wally Badarou. His music was a mix of traditional African beats and American funk. This brought him an international audience. He was controversial in the world of music and often criticized Western culture. Fela was famous for his controversial music and lifestyle. He smoked marijuana in public and had numerous affairs with women. Despite his extravagant life, he was a staunch activist and fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria. His music was influential in the lives of a lot of Africans and urged them to embrace their own culture.