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Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, a musician and political activist, was also a Pan-Africanist. He was a defender of African culture and was influenced by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana, where he discovered new musical influences. He composed songs intended as political attacks against the Nigerian government as well as a global order that systematically exploited Africa. His music was adamantly revolutionary. Fela Ransome-Kuti was born Abeokuta Fela ransome-Kuti was known in the 1970s and 1980s for his agitated political views and abrasive music. Many of his songs were direct slams against the Nigerian government, specifically the military dictatorships that ran the country in the 1970s and 1980s. He also criticised fellow Africans who backed these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, detained and incarcerated numerous times. In fact, he has claimed to be “a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic.” He also founded his own political party known as the Movement for the Advancement of the People MOP, also known as MOP. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mom. She was a feminist leader and women rights activist famous throughout the world. She was a teacher as well as a member of Abeokuta Women's Union. She also assisted in organizing the first preschool classes of Abeokuta. She was a suffragist and active in the Nigerian Independence Movement. She was a close relative of the writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. Ransome-Kuti was a staunch advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She was a proponent of the preservation of traditional African practices and religions, and she opposed European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti was influenced by the Black Power movement and the works of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver. She was a part 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 garner an international following. His music incorporated elements from Afrobeat rock, rock, and jazz, and was heavily influenced by the beats of American jazz clubs. He was a fervent opposition to racism. Fela's protests in Nigeria against the government led to many arrests and beatings. This did not stop him from touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he was again targeted by the military and detained on suspicions of smuggling currency. International human rights groups intervened after the incident, and the government was forced to back down. Nevertheless, Kuti continued to record and perform until his death in 1997. He was buried at the Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The city is now home to the Fela Museum. He was a musician Fela, a passionate Pan-Africanist was committed to using music as a method of social protest. He was a critic of the Nigerian Government, while inspiring activists all over the world. Fela was a Nigerian born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a fierce anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother, like his grandparents, was a doctor who was an anti-colonialist. His life's work was to fight for the rights and freedoms of the oppressed. Fela began his career as a music teacher in 1958, following his departure from medical school. He wanted to pursue his passion for music. He began playing highlife music, a popular genre that blends African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz. He formed his first group in London and was able to refine his abilities. After his return to Nigeria, he developed Afrobeat that combines lyrics written in agit-prop with danceable beats. The new style was adopted by Nigerians and Africans across the continent. It was one of the most influential genres in African music. In the 1970s, Fela's political activism put him in direct conflict with Nigerian military regimes. The regime was concerned that his music would inspire people to rebel against their oppressors, and challenge the status quo. Despite repeated attempts to disarm him, Fela continued to make powerful and incredibly danceable music until the end of his life. He died from complications related to AIDS in 1997. The nightclub of Fela 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 was an area 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 complications related to AIDS, his legacy lives on. His Afrobeat sound has influenced many artists, including Beyonce and Wyclef Jean. Jay Z also cites his influence. He was an enigmatic figure who loved music, women and having a good time, but his true legacy lies in his relentless efforts to defend 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 at blending elements from African culture with American funk and jazz and using his music to criticize the oppressive Nigerian government. He continued to speak out and fight for his beliefs, despite being often beaten and arrested. Fela was born into the Ransome-Kuti family, which included anti-colonialists and artists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a educator and feminist as was his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti, helped to form an union of teachers. He grew up singing and listening to the traditional songs and rhythms of highlife – which included soul songs, jazz standards and Ghanaian hymns. This musical legacy shaped the worldview of Fela, who was determined to bring Africa to the world and the world to Africa. In 1977, Fela recorded Zombie. The song compared the police to a solitary mass of people who would obey orders and savagely attack people. The track ticked off the military authorities, who invaded his home and took over his home. They slayed everyone, including Fela's children and women. His mother was removed from a window and passed away the following year of injuries she suffered in the attack. The war was the catalyst for Fela's anti-government activism. He established a commune and named it the Kalakuta Republic, which doubled as an recording studio. He also founded a party and broke away from the Nigerian government, and his songs began to focus more on social issues. In 1979, he took his mother's body to the headquarters of the ruling junta in Lagos and was then beaten. Fela was a warrior who was unstoppable and never gave in 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 embodiment of an unstoppable spirit and in that sense, it was truly heroic. He was a man who defied every challenge and, by doing so, changed the course of the history of mankind. fela claims railroad employees continues to live in the present day. He passed away in 1997. The passing of Fela has been a devastating loss to his fans across the world. He was 58 years old when he died and his funeral was attended by millions of people. His family members claimed that he died of heart failure caused by AIDS. Fela played a key part in the creation and development of Afrobeat music, a genre that combines traditional Yoruba rhythms and jazz with American funk. His political activism led to his arrest and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be disarmed. He urged others to fight the corrupt rule of the Nigerian military regime and advocated Africanism. Fela was an influential figure in the Black Power movement in the United States, which inspired him to fight for Africa. In his later years, Fela suffered from skin swelling and weight loss that was dramatic. These symptoms were an obvious indication that he had AIDS. He refused to accept treatment and denied he had AIDS. Eventually it was over. Fela Kuti's legacy is sure to live 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 sought to change the way that Africans were treated. He used his music as a means of social protest and was a fighter against colonialism. His music had a profound effect on the lives of many Africans and he'll always be remembered for that. 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 led to him having an international audience. He was a polarizing personality in the music industry and often criticized Western culture. Fela is famous for his controversial music, and his lifestyle. He was a pot smoker and had numerous affairs with women. Despite his raunchy lifestyle, he was an activist and fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria. His music was influential in many Africans' lives and encouraged them to embrace their culture.