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Fela Kuti & Africa 70

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Fela Kuti & Africa 70 · Fela Kuti was born Olufela Ransome-Kuti in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, into a family that resisted colonialism. His mother Funmilayo was a feminist who in 1946 led the Abeokuta women's revolt. His cousin was the writer Wole Soyinka. Fela went to London in 1958 to study music. Later, with his band Africa 70, he formed a group of which the drummer Tony Allen was the musical director. In the 1970s the band grew into a star in Nigeria.

Music and breakthrough

Kuti is regarded as the founder of Afrobeat, a style that combines West African music with American funk and jazz. In 1970 he founded the commune Kalakuta Republic, which declared itself independent of military rule. In 1977 the army destroyed the commune, in which Fela was injured and his mother was killed. In 1984 the government of Muhammadu Buhari imprisoned him, until his release after twenty months. He continued to record and perform until his death in 1997. His son Femi Kuti now oversees the reissues of his music. In 2026 Fela was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Influence

The songs are long, with rhythms that repeat, horns, singing in an alternation of leader and chorus and lyrics that attack authority. Zombie from 1976 is about soldiers who obey orders without thinking, and Water No Get Enemy from 1975 about water as a life force. Fela showed that dance music could at the same time be a political weapon.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Zombie and notice the repeating rhythms, the horns and the alternation between the singer and the chorus. Hear how the music almost never stops and keeps carrying you along.
Categories: ArtistsAfrobeat