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Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, politician and musician, was also a Pan-Africanist. He was a defender of African culture and was inspired by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana where he found new music influences and a new direction for his music. He composed songs intended as political attacks against the Nigerian government and a global order that was systematically exploiting Africa. His music was radically revolutionary. Fela Ransome-Kuti was born in Abeokuta In the 1970s and 1980s, Fela Ransome-Kuti became known for his brutal style of music and his abrasive political statements. Many of his songs were direct slams against the Nigerian government, specifically the military dictatorships that ruled the country in the 1970s and 1980s. He also criticized fellow Africans who backed these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was arrested, beaten and jailed multiple times. In fact, he has called himself “a prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic.” He also created his own political party called the Movement for the Advancement of the People or MOP. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was Fela's mother. She was a feminist leader and women's rights activist well-known around the world. She was a teacher and was a member of the Abeokuta Women's Union. 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 relative of writer and Nobel laureate Wole SOYINKA. Ransome-Kuti was an avid advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She was a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism and socialism. Ransome-Kuti influenced by Malcolm X, Eldridge Clever and the Black Power Movement. She was also a part of the African Renaissance movement. Fela's music was able, despite his opposition to the oppressive Nigerian Government and Western culture, to gain an international fan base. His music incorporated elements of Afrobeat, rock, and jazz and was heavily inspired by the beats of American jazz clubs. He was also a fervent anti-racist. Fela's rebelliousness against the Nigerian government led to numerous arrests and beatings. However, it did not deter his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he was beaten by the military, and was detained under a variety of suspect charges. International human rights groups intervened following the incident, and the government was forced to back down. Kuti however, he continued to record and perform until his death in 1998. He was buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The city is now home to the Fela Museum. He was a musician Fela, a passionate Pan-Africanist, believed in making music a tool of social protest. Utilizing his funk-driven Afrobeat style, he decried the Nigerian government and inspired activists around the world. Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was the son of Funmilayo Runsome-Kuti who was a fervent anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother was also a doctor and anti-colonialist, as were his grandparents. Fela was raised 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 was determined to pursue his passion for music. He began playing highlife, which is a popular music genre that fuses traditional African rhythms with Western instruments, as well as jazz. He started his first band in London and was able to perfect his abilities in the capital city of Europe. After his return to Nigeria He created Afrobeat which combined agitprop lyrics with danceable rhythms. The new sound was embraced by Africans and Nigerians 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 worried that his music would motivate people to fight against their oppressors, and to overturn the status-quo. Despite numerous attempts to disarm him, Fela continued to make fierce and supremely danceable music until the end of his life. He died from AIDS-related complications in 1997. The nightclub Fela's had in Lagos called Afrika Shrine was always packed with people. He also built a commune, called the Kalakuta Republic, that functioned as his recording studio, club, and spiritual space. The commune also was an area for political speeches. Fela often critiqued the Nigerian government and world leaders such as 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 a mysterious figure who loved music, women, and an evening out however his real legacy lies in his tireless efforts to defend the marginalized. 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. He was a master of mixing African culture with American jazz and funk. He also employed his music as a way to protest against Nigeria's oppressive government. He continued to speak up and fight for his beliefs, despite being arrested and beaten frequently. Fela was raised in the Ransome-Kuti clan that included anti-colonialists, artists, 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 singing and listening to the traditional tunes and beats of highlife – an amalgamation of soul songs, jazz standards and Ghanaian hymns. Fela's worldview was formed by this musical legacy. He was determined to bring Africa and the world together. In 1977, Fela recorded Zombie. The song contrasts the police to a solitary group of hordes who would obey orders and slay people. The song was arouse for the military authorities, who seized the house of Fela and sacked his home. They beat everyone, including Fela's wife and children. His mother was thrown from the window and died of injuries sustained in the attack the following year. The war fueled Fela's anti-government activism. He founded a commune, the Kalakuta Republic. It also served as a studio for recording. He also formed an opposition party and split from the Nigerian state and his music became more centered on social issues. In 1979, he took his mother's body to the headquarters of the ruling junta in Lagos and was beaten. Fela was a fierce and unbending warrior who never accepted the status quo. He was aware that he was fighting an unjust power and inefficient, but he did not give up. He was the embodiment the spirit of determination and in this manner, his story was truly heroic. He was a man that defied all odds and changed the course history. His legacy continues to live on today. He died in 1997. The passing of Fela was a devastating blow to his many fans across the world. He was 58 when he died, and his funeral was attended by millions of people. The family of the deceased said that the cause of death was heart failure as a result of AIDS. Fela was a key figure in the development of Afrobeat, a genre of music that blended traditional Yoruba rhythms with jazz and American funk. His political activism led to him being detained and beaten by Nigerian police. He refused to be silenced. He preached Africanism and urged others to stand up against corruption in the Nigerian military government. Fela had a significant influence on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to fight for Africa. In his later years, Fela suffered from skin lesions and dramatic weight loss. These signs clearly indicated that he was suffering from AIDS. He refused to accept treatment and denied that he had AIDS. Eventually the disease took him away. Fela Kuti will be remembered for generations. Kuti's songs are a powerful declaration of political opinions that challenges the status-quo. He was a revolutionary who aimed to change the way Africans were treated. He used music to combat colonialism and as a way of social protest. His music was influential in making a difference in the lives of many Africans and the world will remember him for his contributions. Throughout his career, Fela worked with various producers to create his unique sound. Some of these producers included EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell. His music was a mix of traditional African beats, American funk, and jazz, gaining him an international fan base. He was a controversial personality in the music industry and was often critical of Western culture. Fela is known for his controversial music, and his lifestyle. He smoked openly marijuana and had many relationships with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights of the poor in Nigeria despite his outrageous lifestyle. fela lawsuit settlements influenced many Africans in their lives and helped them embrace their own culture.