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// Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti
In opposition to the Nigerian dictatorship, Fela was sent to prison and tortured on numerous occasions (for many of his compatriots, if AIDS finally got the better of him it was because his body had been weakened by so much ill-treatment). The harassment actually intensified his struggle. He founded the "Movement of People" (MOP), stood for the 1979 presidential elections and was soon seen as a complex figure asserting his African roots.
Fela Anikulato Kuti was born in Abeokuta (Nigeria) on 15 October 1938. At the age of 20, his parents sent him to study medicine in England. But the young Fela decided that he would rather study the piano in the Trinity College music department. He soon formed a group "Koola Lobitos", playing a fusion of Jazz and High Life.
In 1969, he left for the United States with his group, newly named "Fela Ransome Kuti & Nigeria 70". There he met Sandra Isodore, an associate of the Black Panthers who introduced him to the writings of Malcom X. Los Angeles was an important step for Fela as it was there that he embraced the theses of Pan-Africanism and developed his musical style : Afrobeat. So that his message would be better spread amongst his African brothers, he sang in "Pidgin-English". His lyrics were considerably militant: he denounced corruption, dictatorship, the multinationals' stranglehold of Africa (ex. his song "ITT : International Thief Thief"), the social obligation to mimic European manners ("Gentleman"). In 1971 he founded the "Shrine club" in Lagos, a venue legendary for its total freedom. People came to listen to the master play (of course), smoke joints as big as baobabs, talk freely, meet sexual partners... Fela expanded the limits of Freedom ever wider, which annoyed the ruling powers more and more. In 1974 the army took his house by storm, a large fenced-off residence auto-proclaimed the "Kalakuta Republic". The trial of strength between Fela and the authorities got increasingly hard over the years until 18 February 1977. That day the attack was pitiless, carried out by close to 1000 soldiers. The women were raped, the house burnt, the men were beaten and Fela's mother (aged 82) thrown out of the window. She died from her injuries.
Shocked and deeply distressed, Fela then sunk into a deranged Africanism. He had already replaced the name "Ransome" by "Anikulapo" (his mother's name) ; he then married 27 wives and refused to wear western clothes. His rejection of anything from the West included medical treatments. But the traditional African methods, based on plants and breaking spells were not enough to cure him and he did of AIDs on 2 August 1997.
Magali Bergès
// ALSO
- Fela: This Bitch Of A Life
- Tony Allen
- Femi Kuti
- African Soul Rebels Special: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 on UK tour 13-21 April 2011
- Fela! Theatre review
- Tony Allen, Art’s Own Kind: Afrobeat & The Art Of Lemi Ghariokwu
- Tony Allen, Afrobeat ace
- DJ Floro, Chart
- Lapiro: mission impossible
// DISCOGRAPHY
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Black Man’s Cry - The Inspiration Of Fela Kuti (Compilation)
Alagbon Close / Why Black Man Dey Suffer (Album)
I.T.T.- International Thief Thief (Album)
Schuffering and Schmiling (Album)
No Agreement (Album)
Before I jump like Monkey, give me a banana (Album)
Zombie (Album)
Afrodisiac (Album)
Shakara (Album)
Black man's cry (Album)
The 69 sessions (Album)
Anthology 1 (Album)
ODOO: Overtake Don Overtake Overtake (Album)
Unknown Soldier (Album)
Opposite People - Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Album)
Everything Scatter (Album)
Upside Down (Album)
He Miss Road (Album)
Gentleman (Album)
Fela's London Scene (Album)
Open And Close (Album)
J.J.D. (Johnny Just Drop)" (Album)// LINKS
RELATED ARTISTS
>> Seun Kuti
>> Carlos Moore
>> Gudrun Holck
>> Gilles Peterson
>> Femi Kuti
REPORTS
// CONTACT
Barclay (Label)
Tel : 33 (0)1 44 41 95 95 Fax : 33 (0)1 44 41 95 64
16 rue des Fossés St Jacques Paris FRA 75005
// POST A COMMENT
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congo k
02/03/2009
Quelle vie. Quel Homme. Quel Courage. J attends de lire le livre de Lonoh Malangi B. consacré à la vie de Fela. Les vrais artistes d'aujourdh'hui devraient s'inspirer de cet Homme..
KutiMan
03/12/2009
Présentation très réussie. Il y a cependant une petite erreur, "Anikulapo" n'est pas le nom de sa mère mais signifie "Celui qui porte la mort dans sa besace". Il a surtout choisi de se détacher du nom Ransome, assimilé pour lui à la colonisation.
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