FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI, HE WAS BORN IN 1938 TO THE RANSOME-KUTI FAMILY, HE STUDIED MUSIC AS AGAINST THE WILL OF HIS PARENT TO STUDY MEDICINE. THE LEGENDARY FELA IS THE PIONEER OF AFROBEAT(1969) WHICH IS A COMPLEX FUSION OF JAZZ,FUNK,HIGHLIFE, PSYCHEDELIC ROCK AND TRADITIONAL WEST AFRICAN CHANTS AND RYTHM.
FELAS TONE WAS NOTABLE BY FEATURING TWO BARITONE SAXOPHONES, WHEREAS MOST GROUPS WERE USING ONLY ONE OF THIS INSTRUMENT, AT ATIMES, THE BAND PERFORMS WITH TWO GUITARISTS AND TWO BASSISTS AT THE SAME TIME BOTH PLAYING INTERLOCKING MELODIES AND RYTHMS.
FELA IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS MUSICS LYRICAL CONTENT, HE SPOKE WILDLY AGAINST THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, WHICH ACTUALLY LANDED FELA INTO VARIOUS TROUBLES; FELA LANDED IN JAIL FOR A SERIES OF TIME DURING HIS LIFETIME, HE LOST HIS MOTHER (FUNMILAYO RANSOME KUTI) TO THE STRUGGLE WHEN HE GOT HIMSELF IN TROUBLE WITH THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT, HE ALMOST GOT HIMSELF ASSASSINATED ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, BEFORE HE ACTUALLY GAVE UP TO AIDS.
SOME OF THE EVERGREEN HITS OF FELA INCLUDES "INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF (ITT), AMEN, BEAST OF NO NATION, ZOMBIE, SORROW TEARS AND BLOOD, WATER NO GET ENEMY, ARMY ARRANGEMENT AMONGST OTHERS.
FELA DIED ON AUGUST 3, 1997.
WHICH OF FELAS SONG DO YOU RECALL??? List them below👇👇👇
Picture source: instagram.com/@olufelakuti