Fela Kuti: The King of Afrobeat

When Fela Kuti died on August 2nd, 1997 more than 1 million people attended his funeral.

When Fela Kuti died on August 2nd, 1997 more than 1 million people attended his funeral. This is more people than have ever attended the funeral of any Nigerian president or any public figure for that matter. Anyway, Fela was a president in his own right, The People’s President. Get ready to meet a musical hurricane. A revolutionary who made the world dance. A man who made the whole Federal Government shiver. He was fearless, outrageous, and his music changed Africa forever. This is the story of Fela Kuti, the king of Afrobeat.

Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, into a family of strong political and musical influence. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was a feminist activist, she was part of the main leaders who fought for Nigeria’s independence and his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, was a prominent clergyman and educator. Growing up in such a politically charged atmosphere, it’s no surprise Fela would later use his music to challenge authority and societal norms. In 1958, Fela was sent to London to study medicine. But London in the 1950s was swinging, and Fela traded his stethoscope for a trumpet. Of course, this did not go down well with his family. To abandon medicine for music was a taboo no African parent could accept. After many arguments and quarrels, the parents gave up. 

This video is a documentary about the life and legacy of Fela Kuti