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Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, an activist and musician who was also a pan-Africanist. He was a supporter of African culture and was influenced by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana where he discovered new musical influences and a new direction for his music. He composed songs that were meant to be political attacks against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that routinely exploited Africa. His music was uncompromisingly radical. Fela Ransome-Kuti was a child of Abeokuta In the 1970s and the 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his harsh style of music and rebellious political statements. Many of his songs were direct criticisms of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships that ruled the nation in those days. He also criticized fellow Africans who supported these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, detained, and jailed several times. He once referred to himself as a “prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic” and founded his own political movement, the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP). Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mother. She was a feminist leader and women rights activist famous throughout the world. She was a member of the Abeokuta Women's Union and worked as an educator. She also helped organize some of the first preschool classes in Abeokuta. She was a suffragist, and was active in the Nigerian independence movement. She was a close kin of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA. Ransome-Kuti was a strong supporter of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She argued for the preservation of traditional African religions and lifestyles and was a strong opponent of European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was a member of the African Renaissance Movement. The music of Fela was able even in the face of opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to gain a worldwide following. His music was influenced by Afrobeat, rock, and jazz, and was heavily in the style of American jazz clubs. He was a fervent opposition to racism. The Fela's revolt against the Nigerian government led to numerous arrests and beatings. However, this did not deter his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he again was snatched by the military and arrested under dubious charges. International human rights groups intervened after the incident, and the government was forced to step down. Kuti, however, continued to record and perform until his death in 1998. He was buried at the Kalakuta Cemetery in Abeokuta. The Fela Museum is located in the city. He was a musician Fela, a committed Pan-Africanist was committed to making music a tool of social protest. He criticized the Nigerian Government while inspiring activists across the globe. Fela was a Nigerian born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, an anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women’s movement. His mother as well as his grandparents was a doctor who was an anti-colonialist. Fela was taught to fight for the rights of the oppressed and that became his passion in life. Fela began his career as a music teacher in 1958, following his departure from medical school. He wanted to follow his passion for the music. He started out playing highlife, a cult music genre that fuses traditional African rhythms with Western instruments and jazz. He formed his first group in London where he was able to develop his skills. When he returned to Nigeria he developed Afrobeat that combined agitprop lyrics with danceable rhythms. The new style was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent. It was one of the most influential forms in African music. In the 1970s the political activism of Fela put him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes. The regime feared his music's ability to inspire people to rise up against their oppressors and overturn the status quo. Despite repeated attempts to silence him, Fela continued to make powerful and incredibly danceable music until the end of his life. He died in 1997 of complications related to AIDS. Fela's nightclub in Lagos called Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also constructed the Kalakuta republic which was his recording studio and club. The commune was also used as a venue for political speeches. Fela often critiqued the Nigerian government and world leaders, including 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 influenced many artists like Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z also credits his influence. He was an enigmatic man who loved music, fun, and women. But his true legacy is his unwavering 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 funk and jazz and using his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government. He continued to speak up and fight for his beliefs even though he was often beaten and arrested. Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti family that included anti-colonialists and artists. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist educator as was his father Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, helped to establish a union of teachers. He grew up singing and listening to the traditional tunes and rhythms of highlife – which included soul songs, jazz standards and Ghanaian hymns. The worldview of Fela was shaped by this musical legacy. He was determined to bring Africa and the world together. In 1977, Fela released Zombie, one of his songs that compared policemen to a rogue horde who will follow any command, and brutalize the populace. The song angered the military authorities who surrounded the home of Fela and took over his property. They beat everyone, including Fela's wife and children. His mother was thrown out of the window and died of injuries suffered during the attack the following year. fela lawsuits fueled the anti-government activism of Fela. He established a commune known as the Kalakuta Republic. It also served as a studio for recording. He also founded a party and resigned from the Nigerian government, and his songs began to concentrate more on social issues. In 1979, he brought his mother's coffin to the headquarters of the junta's ruling party in Lagos and was later beaten. Fela was a warrior who was unstoppable and never bowed to the status of the game. He knew the injustice of fighting an unjust and inefficient power but he refused to give up. He was the epitomization of an indefatigable spirit, and in this way his story was truly heroic. He was a man who fought against all odds, and in doing so changed the course of the history of mankind. His legacy continues to live on today. He passed away in 1997. The death of Fela has been a devastating blow to his fans all over the world. Many thousands of people attended his funeral. He was aged 58 when he died. His family members claimed that he died due to heart failure due to AIDS. Fela played a significant role in the development and evolution of Afrobeat music which fuses traditional Yoruba rhythms jazz, as well as American funk. His political activism led him to be taken into custody and beat by the Nigerian police. He refused to be silenced. He urged others to fight the corrupt rule of the Nigerian military regime and advocated Africanism. Fela had a major impact on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue his fight for Africa. In his later years Fela developed skin lesions, and he lost weight drastically. These symptoms indicated he was suffering from AIDS. He refused to receive treatment and denied having AIDS. Then, he succumbed. Fela Kuti's legacy will be carried for generations to come. Kuti's music makes a powerful political statement that is a challenge to the status that is. He was a revolutionary who wanted to change the way that Africans were treated. He made use of his music as a tool for social protest and struggled against colonialism. His music had a profound impact on the lives of a lot of Africans, and he'll be remembered for it. Through his entire career, Fela worked with various producers to create his unique sound. Some of these producers included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt, British dub master Dennis Bovell and keyboardist Wally Badarou. His music was a mixture of traditional African beats and American funk. This gave him an international audience. He was a polarizing personality in the music industry and often criticized Western culture. Fela was well-known for his controversial music and life style. He smoked marijuana in public and had numerous relationships with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights the poor in Nigeria despite his extravagant lifestyle. His music was influential in many Africans in their lives and helped them to embrace their culture.