On October 15, 1938, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, better known as Fela Kuti, was born in Abeokuta, the state capital of Ogun State. Musician and political activist Fela pioneered his own distinctive musical style, known as “Afrobeat.”
He fought against military oppression and political tyranny by utilizing Afrobeat as a weapon. Over 200 times, Fela was detained, beaten, and imprisoned. Despite this, he continued to write political lyrics and released fifty albums before passing away on August 2, 1997, in Lagos.
He was born to Mrs. Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a political activist, and Reverend Ransome-Kuti, a protestant minister.
Fela’s Songs include:
- Palava
- Gentleman
- Waka Waka
- Water No Get Enemy
- Basket Mouth
- Beasts of No Nation
- Sorrow, Tears And Blood
- Yellow Fever
- Open And Close
- Lady
- Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo
- Shakara (Oloje)
- International Thief Thief
- Zombie
His politically charged songs, which decried the oppression of Nigeria’s military government, led the military to frequently raid his nightclub in search of grounds to imprison him. Additionally, he established a communal compound that he christened Kalakuta Republic.
As the commune’s leader, he frequently promoted indulgence in sex, polygamy (he married 27 women in a single day), and marijuana, all of which attracted attention and sparked controversy.
He was briefly imprisoned during the Nigerian military’s 1977 raid on the Kalakuta Republic, and his mother died the following year from complications from a window fall.
In 1993, Fela was re-arrested for murder, but the charges were dropped. He passed away as a result of AIDS-related complications.
