HMV Magazine ranked him as #46 on a list of the 100 most influential musicians of the 20th century.
The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, and traditional Yoruban chants and rhythms. It is characterized by having African-style percussion, vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The endless groove is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, shekere, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song. His band was notable for featuring two baritone saxophones, whereas most groups using this instrument only use one. This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip-hop. Some elements often present in Fela's music are the call-and-response within the chorus and figurative but simple lyrics. Fela's songs were almost always over 10 minutes in length, some reaching the 20- or even 30-minute marks, while some unreleased tracks would last up to 45 minutes when performed live. This was one of many reasons that his music never reached a substantial degree of popularity outside of Africa. His songs were mostly sung in Nigerian pidgin, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. Fela's main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards, but he also played the trumpet, guitar, and took the occasional drum solo. Fela refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which also hindered his popularity outside Africa. Fela was known for his showmanship, and his concerts were often quite outlandish and wild. He referred to his stage act as the Underground Spiritual Game.
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, to a middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement and his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school Principal, was the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. His brothers, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti,both medical doctors, are both well known in Nigeria.
Fela was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a style of music that he would later call Afrobeat. The style was a fusion of American Jazz, psychedelic rock, and Funk with West African Highlife. In 1961, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States. While there, Fela discovered the Black power movement through Sandra Smith (now Isidore)βa partisan of the Black Panther Partyβwhich would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band Nigeria β70. Soon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band then performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The '69 Los Angeles Sessions.
Fela and his band, renamed Africa '70, returned to Nigeria. He then formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for many connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, named the Afro-Spot and then the Afrika Shrine, where he performed regularly. Fela also changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"), stating that his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name. The recordings continued, and the music became more politically motivated. Fela's music became very popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general. In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. In 1974 the police arrived with a search warrant and a cannabis joint, which they had intended to plant on Fela. He became wise to this and swallowed the joint. In response, the police took him into custody and waited to examine his feces. Fela enlisted the help of his prison mates and gave the police someone else's feces, and Fela was freed. He then recounted this tale in his release Expensive Shit (now released together with "He Miss Road" as Expensive Shit/He Miss Road).
In 1977 Fela and the Afrika β70 released the hit album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit with the people and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed if it were not for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the main army barrack in Lagos and write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier," referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.
Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel as the Shrine had been destroyed along with his commune. In 1978 Fela married 27 women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra in which riots broke out during the song "Zombie," which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela's musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entirety of the proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.
Despite the massive setbacks, Fela was determined to come back. He formed his own political party, which he called 'Movement of the People'. In 1979 he put himself forward for President in Nigeria's first elections for more than a decade but his candidature was refused. At this time, Fela created a new band called Egypt 80 and continued to record albums and tour the country. He further infuriated the political establishment by dropping the names of ITT vice-president Moshood Abiola and then General Olusegun Obasanjo at the end of a hot-selling 25-minute political screed titled "I. T. T. (International Thief Thief)."
In 1984, he was again attacked by the Military government, who jailed him on a dubious charge of currency smuggling. His case was taken up by several human-rights groups, and after 20 months, he was released from prison by General Ibrahim Babangida. On his release he divorced his 12 remaining wives, saying that "marriage brings jealousy and selfishness." Once again, Fela continued to release albums with Egypt 80, made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and the Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela & Egypt 80 released the anti-apartheid "Beasts of No Nation" album that depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha with fangs dripping blood.
His album output slowed in the 1990s, and eventually he stopped releasing albums altogether. The battle against military corruption in Nigeria was taking its toll, especially during the rise of dictator Sani Abacha. Rumors were also spreading that he was suffering from an illness for which he was refusing treatment. On 3 August 1997, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health, stunned the nation by announcing his younger brother's death a day earlier from Kaposi's sarcoma brought on by AIDS. (Their younger brother Beko was in jail at this time at the hand of Abacha for political activity). More than a million people attended Fela's funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela's death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.
Coffin For Head of State
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
By the grace of Almighty Lord
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
By the grace of Almighty Lord
"In Spiritus Christus..."
"Allah Wakubar Mohammed Salamalekum..."
Waka, waka, waka!
So I waka waka waka
I go many places
I see my people
Them dey cry cry cry
Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen
I say I waka waka waka...
I waka many village anywhere in Africa
I waka many village anywhere in Africa
Pastor's house na him dey fine pass
My people them dey stay for poor surroundings
Pastor's dress na him dey clean pass
E hard for my people for them to buy soap
Pastor na him them give respect pass
And them do bad bad bad bad bad bad things
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)...
Waka, waka, waka!
So I waka waka waka
I go many places
I go business places
I see see see
All the bad bad bad things
Them dey do do do
Call corruption
Them dey call nepotism
Inside the promotions
And inside all business
I say I waka waka waka
I see see see
So I waka waka waka...
I waka many business anywhere in Africa
I waka many business anywhere in Africa
North and South them get them policies
One Christian and the other one Muslim
Anywhere the Muslims them they reign
Na Senior Alhaji na him be Director
Anywhere the Christians them they reign
Na the best friend to Bishop na him be Director
It is a known fact that for many thousand years
We Africans we had our own traditions
These moneymaking organizations
Them come put we Africans in total confusion
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)...
Waka, waka, waka!
So I waka waka waka
I go many places
I go government places
I see see see
All the bad bad bad things
Them dey do do do
Look Obasanjo!
Before anything at all, him go dey shout:
"Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, Almighty Lord!"
"Oh Lord, oh God!"
And them do bad bad bad bad bad bad things
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)
By the grace of Almighty Lord
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)
I say, look Yar'Adua!
I say, look Yar'Adua!
Before anything at all, him go dey shout:
"Habba Allah, habba Allah, habba Allah!"
"Habba Allah, habba Allah!"
And them do, yes yes
And them do bad bad bad bad bad bad things
Through Mohammed our Lord
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)
By the grace of Almighty Allah
(Amen, Amen, Amen!)
Waka, waka, waka!
So I waka waka waka
I go many places
I go government places
I see see see
All the bad bad bad things
Them they do do do
Them steal all the money
Them kill many students
Them burn many houses
Them burn my house too
Them kill my mama
So I carry the coffin
I waka waka waka
Movement of the People
Them waka waka waka
Young African Pioneers
Them waka waka waka
We go Obalende
We go Dodan barracks
We reach them gate o
We put the coffin down
Obasanjo dey there
With him big fat stomach
Yar'Adua dey there
With him neck like ostrich
We put the coffin down
But them take am!
Them no want take am
Them no want take am
Who go want take coffin?
Them must take am
Na the bad bad bad things
Wey they don do
Them no want take am
Obasanjo grab am
Yar'Adua carry am
Yes, them no want take am
Obasanjo carry am
Yar'Adua tow am
Them no want take am
Them no want take am
E dey for them office
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now...
But them take am!
The lyrics to Fela Kuti's "Coffin For The Head Of State" speak to the corruption, injustice, and societal decay that occurs in Nigeria and other African countries, expressed through the repeated phrase "bad bad bad things." The song also reveals the tension and complexity in Nigeria regarding religion and politics, as seen through the lyrics mentioning leaders shouting for Allah or God before doing bad things. Fela's emphasis on religion and the role of pastors in society highlights the clergy's complicitness in corruption rather than their leadership in resisting it. The lines "It is a known fact that for many thousand years / We Africans we had our own traditions / These moneymaking organizations / Them come put we Africans in total confusion" speak to the colonization of African society by European ideas, including the introduction of Christianity and capitalist views on governance and economics.
Through Fela Kuti's song, he uses music as an instrument of protest and activism, encouraging Africans to "waka," take action, and resist the social and political decline through movements such as the Movement of the People and the Young African Pioneers. The lyrics urge people to question and resist their leaders' oppressive actions and systems, calling for a revolution against the "bad bad bad things."
Line by Line Meaning
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
By the power of Jesus Christ
By the grace of Almighty Lord
Through the blessing of God
"In Spiritus Christus..."
"In the spirit of Jesus Christ..."
"Allah Wakubar Mohammed Salamalekum..."
"God is great, may peace be upon you..."
So I waka waka waka
I walk and travel around
I go many places
I travel to many locations
I see my people
I observe my fellow countrymen
Them dey cry cry cry
They are often sad and sorrowful
I waka many village anywhere in Africa
I travel through various villages in Africa
Pastor's house na him dey fine pass
The pastor's house is the nicest
My people them dey stay for poor surroundings
My people live in poor environments
Pastor's dress na him dey clean pass
The pastor's clothes are the cleanest
E hard for my people for them to buy soap
It is difficult for my people to afford soap
Pastor na him them give respect pass
The pastor is the most respected
And them do bad bad bad bad bad bad things
And they commit many wrongdoings
Them dey call nepotism
They practice favoritism
Na Senior Alhaji na him be Director
It is a senior Muslim who becomes the director
Na the best friend to Bishop na him be Director
The director is often the best friend of the bishop
We Africans we had our own traditions
We as Africans have our own cultural practices
These moneymaking organizations
These corporations focused solely on profits
Them come put we Africans in total confusion
They have put us Africans in complete confusion
Look Obasanjo!
See Obasanjo!
Before anything at all, him go dey shout:
He starts by shouting
"Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, Almighty Lord!"
"Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, Almighty God!"
And them do bad bad bad bad bad bad things
And they commit many wrongdoings
I say, look Yar'Adua!
See Yar'Adua!
"Habba Allah, habba Allah, habba Allah!"
"My God, my God, my God!"
And them do, yes yes
And they commit many wrongdoings
Them steal all the money
They steal all the wealth
Them kill many students
They murder many students
Them burn many houses
They burn down many homes
Them kill my mama
They killed my mother
So I carry the coffin
So I carry the coffin
Movement of the People
A social movement
Young African Pioneers
A youth organization
We go Obalende
We go to Obalende
We go Dodan barracks
We go to Dodan barracks
We reach them gate o
We arrive at their gate
We put the coffin down
We set the coffin down
Obasanjo dey there
Obasanjo is there
With him big fat stomach
With his large belly
Yar'Adua dey there
Yar'Adua is there
With him neck like ostrich
With a long neck like an ostrich
Them no want take am
They don't want to take it
Who go want take coffin?
Who wants to take a coffin?
Them must take am
They must take it
Na the bad bad bad things
It is because of their wrongdoings
Obasanjo grab am
Obasanjo takes it
Yar'Adua carry am
Yar'Adua carries it
E dey for them office
It is in their office
E dey there now now now now now
It is there now
But them take am!
But they take it!
Lyrics Β© BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (FRANCE), BMG Rights Management, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Michael-bj2wd
So many listeners praise the composition but people are not listening to the lyrics, to the story, it is airy, chilling ...
We go Obalende
We go Dodan barracks
We reach them gate o
We put the coffin down
Obasanjo dey there
With him big fat stomach
Yar'Adua dey there
With him neck like ostrich
We put the coffin down
But them take am!
Them no want take am
Them no want take am
Who go want take coffin?
Them must take am
Na the bad bad bad things
Wey they don do
Them no want take am
Obasanjo grab am
Yar'Adua carry am
Yes, them no want take am
Obasanjo carry am
Yar'Adua tow am
Them no want take am
Them no want take am
E dey for them office
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now
E dey there now now now now now...
@nonyagbo
FELA is the Greatest - If you agree give a like to Fela's Memory - He deserves it.
@eeerabbit5945
Hell yeah re open this thread
@siphorasana8454
The Best of the Best
@samuelendeley8322
This man had big balls!! Insulting a man who just did you bad like that, anyone who disrespects your legacy is a FOOL!!
@IFWE_.
BIGVIB3R ALSO HAS BIG BALLS TOO, TRUST ME THEY'RE QUITE BIG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjvnVRq227U&ab_channel=Bigvib3r-Topic
@TheWavNG
Who is still here in 2023? π REST on great Visionary.
@IFWE_.
WERE STILL HERE OH
BUT THERE'S SOMEONE WHOS COME TO CARRY ON HIS LEGACY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjvnVRq227U&ab_channel=Bigvib3r-Topic
@rickexcelarms
"I waka waka, waka , I see MY PEOPLE, dem dey cry, cry. cry" This beautiful song & many others symbolises why Fela will forever be known as the PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
He was the voice of the voiceless and hope of the hopeless, the true definition of the people's champion.
@gbolagadeolajide8595
On my way to the Island, I see the same suffering everytime. People are living the life animals should be living. It's a terrible life most Lagosians live
@anthonyowolabi
Them no wan take am !