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Fela Ransome-Kuti Fela, an activist and musician who was also a pan-Africanist. He was a proponent of African culture and was inspired by Black Power. He traveled to Ghana where he encountered new music influences and a new direction for his music. He composed songs that were intended to be political slurs against the Nigerian government, as well as an international order that exploited Africa regularly. His music was adamantly revolutionary. Fela Ransome Kuti was born Abeokuta Fela ransome-Kuti became famous in the 1970s and 80s for his political views that were wildly out of control and brutal music. Many of his songs were direct criticisms of the Nigerian government and the military dictatorships which were in power in those days. He also criticised his fellow Africans for supporting these dictatorships. Fela's rebellion against oppressive governments cost him dearly. He was beaten, detained, and jailed several times. He once claimed to be a “prisoner of the Kalakuta Republic” and founded his own political organization, the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MOP). Fela's mother was Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a world-recognized feminist leader and rights for women activist. She was a teacher and an active member of the Abeokuta Women's Union. She also helped organize some of the first preschool classes in 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 supporter of Pan-Africanism and socialism. She advocated the preservation of traditional African practices and religions, and she opposed European cultural imperialism. Ransome-Kuti influenced by Malcolm X, Eldridge Clever and the Black Power Movement. She was a member of the African Renaissance Movement. Despite his aversion to Western culture and the oppressive Nigerian government, Fela was able to gain a wide audience through his music. His music was a mixture of Afrobeats, jazz, and rock and heavily in the style of American jazz clubs. He was a fierce opponent of racism. The Nigerian rebel Fela's revolt against the government led to numerous arrests and beatings. However, this did not deter his desire to continue touring the United States and Europe. In 1984, he was beaten by the military and arrested under a variety of suspect charges. The incident prompted international human-rights groups to intervene and the government to back down. Kuti, however, continued to document and perform until his death in 1998. He was buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery, Abeokuta. The Fela Museum is located in the city. He was a musician A passionate Pan-Africanist Fela was determined to use his music as a means of social protest. He criticized the Nigerian Government and inspired activists across the globe. Fela was an African born in Abeokuta in 1938. He was the son of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti who was a fervent anticolonialist and leader of the Nigerian women's movement. His mother like his grandparents was a doctor who was an anti-colonialist. Fela was taught to fight for the rights of oppressed people and that became his passion in life. Fela began his career as a musician in the year 1958 after he dropped out of medical school in order to pursue his passion for music. He began playing highlife music, a cult genre that combines African rhythms and Western instruments with jazz. He formed his first group in London where he was able to improve his abilities. After his return to Nigeria he created Afrobeat that combined the lyrics of agitprop with danceable rhythms. The new sound was adopted by Africans and Nigerians across the continent. It was soon one of the most influential styles in African music. In the 1970s the political activism of Fela 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 challenge the status quo. Fela even despite repeated attempts to silence his music, continued to make ferocious and danceable music until the end of his life. He died from complications arising from AIDS in 1997. While Fela was alive, crowds were always waiting to see him perform at his nightclub in Lagos, called Afrika Shrine. He also established the Kalakuta republic, a commune that was his recording studio and club. The commune also was an area for political speeches. Fela often criticised 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. His legacy continues to live in spite of his death due to complications related to AIDS. His pioneering Afrobeat sound continues to influence popular artists, such as Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, and Jay Z, who have been citing him as an inspiration. He was an enigmatic figure who was a lover of music, women and having a good time, but his true legacy lies in his tireless efforts to fight for 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. He was a master of blending African culture with American jazz and funk. He also used his music as a method 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 born into the prestigious Ransome-Kuti family that included artists and anti-colonialists. His mother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a educator and feminist, while his dad, Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti was instrumental in forming the teachers' union. He was a singer and listened to the traditional melodies and beats of highlife – which included soul songs, jazz standards, and Ghanaian hymns. Fela's worldview was shaped by this musical legacy. He was determined to bring Africa and the world together. In 1977, Fela released Zombie, a song that likened policemen to a mindless horde that would obey any order and brutalize the populace. The track irritated the military authorities, who surrounded his home and destroyed his home. They beat everyone, including Fela's wife and children. His mother was thrown from an open window and died of injuries sustained during the attack the following year. The war was the catalyst for Fela's anti-government activism. He established a commune known as the Kalakuta Republic. It also was a studio used for recording. He also formed a party and separated from the Nigerian government and his songs began to focus more on social issues. In 1979, he dragged his mother's coffin into the headquarters of the junta's ruling party in Lagos and was later beaten. Fela was a fearless and unbending warrior who never accepted the status of the game. He was aware that he was fighting against an opponent that was unjust and inefficient, and yet he refused to give up. He was the embodiment of an unstoppable spirit and in that sense, he was truly heroic. He was a man who defied every obstacle and, in the process changed the course of the history of mankind. His legacy continues to live on today. He passed away in 1997. The death of Fela has been a devastating blow to his fans across the world. He was 58 when he passed away, and his funeral was attended by a large number of people. The family of the deceased said that he had died of heart failure caused by AIDS. Fela played a key role in the development and development of Afrobeat music which fuses traditional Yoruba rhythms and jazz with American funk. His political activism resulted in arrests and beatings by Nigerian police however he refused to be disarmed. He encouraged others to resist the corrupt rule of the Nigerian military regime and proclaimed Africanism. Fela had a significant influence on the Black Power Movement in the United States. This inspired him to continue fighting for Africa. In his later years, Fela was diagnosed with skin lesions and he also lost weight rapidly. These signs were a clear sign that he had AIDS. He was an AIDS denier and he refused treatment, but ultimately succumbed to the disease. Fela Kuti's legacy will live on for the next generation. Kuti's music is a powerful statement of political opinion that challenges the status-quo. He was a revolutionary who aimed to change the way that Africans were treated. He used music to combat colonialism and as a way of social protest. His music had a profound effect on the lives of a lot of Africans, and he'll be remembered for it. Fela collaborated with numerous producers throughout his career to develop his distinctive sound. Among fela railroad settlements were EMI producer Jeff Jarratt and British dub master Dennis Bovell. His music was a blend of traditional African beats and American funk. This brought him an international audience. He was a controversial figure in the music business and often criticized Western culture. Fela was known for his controversial music and lifestyle. He smoked openly marijuana and had many relationships with women. He was an activist who fought for the rights the poor in Nigeria despite his outrageous lifestyle. His music influenced many Africans' lives and encouraged them embrace their own culture.