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)—a partisan of the Black Panther Party—which would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band Nigeria ’70. 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 ’70 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.
Confusion Break Bones
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Call am
Confusion"
Then army never burn my
house
Oil money flow for Lagos then
LARUDU REPEKE (after each line)
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru
I no say, Nigeria go-go down
Our country go dey make-ee money
My people of country no see money
LARUDU REPEKE (after each line)
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru, laru
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru
I
see many many things in Nigeria
I see many wrong things in Nigeria Some time ago I come sing one song
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru
Repeke Laru, When I say confusion Everything out of-ee control When everything out-ee of control-ee
Go be say, it "
Bafuka"-oh
BAFUKA NA QUENCH (Confusion kills] (after each line)
Bafuka fi tbe hospital-u
Bafuka fit be police station bafuka fit be mortuary
Bafuka fit be nortuarty
I sing about one street for Lagos
Called "
Ojou Eelegba"
I take a copy how Nigeria be
One crossroad in center town
LARUDU REPEKE (after each line)
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru, laru
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru
For "
Ojou Eelegba"
For "
Ojou Eelegba"
For "
Ojou Eelegba"
For "
Ojou Eelegba"
Moto
dey come from-u East(car)
Moto dey come from-u West
Moto dey come from-u North
Moto dey come from-u South And police-ee man no dey for center
(not directing traffic- there are no traffic lights in Lagos)
Na confusion be dat ee-oh
BAFUKA NA QUENCH (Confusion kills)
(after each line)
Bafuka fit tbe police station
Bafuka fit be hospital
Bafuka fit be mortuary
CONFUSION NA WAHDen I say confusion na wait ee-oh
Confusion na wait ee-oh
After he go take, Police-ee Army come burn-u my house
After he go take, Police-ee Army come burn-u my house
I started to think,
I started to think-ee think
Dey police wey go help people, not dem dey burn burn so
Say army wey go defend cities, not dem dey burn burn so
A na time around 1975 and '77
(dates police/army attacked Fela's home)
Police go seize expensive goods, dem start togo burn burn dem
Army go go market, and meeting cost money, go burn burn dem Why dem like to burn the things wey dey cost-ee money?
Government fit sell to people cheap-ee cheap-ee Government fit dash people, we no get-ee money And di burn burn, na him dey sweet-ee dem pass (them burn & bribe)
Na him dey sweet-ee dem pass
Oya oh, dem burn burn[} OYA (after each line)
Oya oh……, dem burn burn{
Repeat stanza 4x]
My problem is no small at all
Nothing dey for me to sing about
All di things wey I de see I know like, All of dem I see, I sing about
If something good today I go sing, nothing good is ever dey to sing about
If I sing I say food –u nothing
NA OLD-U NEWS-EE BE DATAFTER EACH
(That is old news)
Dey old-u news-ee be dat-oh
If I sing-ee say, water no dey
Old old old news be dat-ee-oh
If I sing-ee say, electric -ee light no dey Old old news be dat-ee-oh
If I sing-ee say, Inf-i-lati-on
If I sing-ee say, mismanagement
If
I sing-ee say, corrup-u-tion
If I sing-ee say, stealing by government
Old old old news be dat-ee-oh
Di problems still dey ba'gba ra ‘gba
I say di problems still dey ba'gba ra ‘gba
Dey thing weh dey worry me
How dis robbery come get-ee big-ee head
The first –ee one, na leg-ee robbery
LEG-EE ROBBO-ERY Where money go pick-ee pockets Dey man go start take leg-ee wrong
The second one na, armed robbery
ARM-O ROBBO-ERY Where man-o go-go steal big things
He go take-ee gun defend himself
The third one, na head-oh robbery
HEAD-O ROBBO-ERY Where all pata-pata go-go steal (everything)
He go take position, steal all free
Free stealing, na him policy Head-ee robbery, Which head-ee get-ee no dey steal?
Which president we get-ee never steal?
CONFUSION BREAK-EE BONE-EE, YEPA,
CONFUSION BREAK-EE BONE-EE, YEPA,
DOUBLE WAHALA FOR DEAD-EE BODYABIOLA OH DEAD-EE BODY
Fela Kuti's song "Confusion Break Bones" expresses his concern about the lack of progress he sees in Nigeria despite the success of the oil industry. The song starts with Fela describing how he had sung about confusion in the past, but nothing had yet changed in society. He then goes on to discuss his view on the lack of wealth distribution, where the government earns a lot of money from oil, but the people do not see any significant benefits. Fela urges society to become more aware and fight against corruption and inequality that he believes are the root cause of confusion.
In the song, Fela speaks out about police and army violence against him and his home. He criticizes the government for its actions and how it harms the citizens. He claims that the government sells goods at a high price, only to burn them down later, as a means of corrupt dealings. Fela reveals how public officials abuse their power for personal gain, leading to corruption and mismanagement of government resources.
The song is powerful in highlighting the mistreatment of the Nigerian people as a result of corrupted government power. It also stresses the importance of society coming together to fight against these long-standing issues.
Line by Line Meaning
I sing dis song some time ago
Fela Kuti introduces the song Confusion Break Bones as one he sang previously
Call am Confusion'
The song title is Confusion
Then army never burn my house
The army never torched Fela's house before
Oil money flow for Lagos then
There was an influx of oil money into Lagos at the time
LARUDU REPEKE
A repeating chorus that means 'The struggle continues'
Repeke Laru, Laru, laru
Repeating the chorus
My people dey say Nigeria done dey
Some people think Nigeria has progressed
But me as I see am I no say, Nigeria go-go down
Fela believes that Nigeria may not be progressing after all
Our country go dey make-ee money
Nigeria may generate a lot of revenue
My people of country no see money
The citizens of Nigeria may not receive any monetary benefits that the country generates
I see many many things in Nigeria
Fela has observed many things in Nigeria
I see many wrong things in Nigeria
Fela has observed a lot of wrong happenings in Nigeria
When I say confusion
Fela reiterates the song title
Everything out of-ee control
Fela believes that things are getting out of control
When everything out-ee of control-ee
Fela is emphasizing the growing lack of control
Go be say, it 'Bafuka'-oh
Everything seems to be erupting in 'confusion'
BAFUKA NA QUENCH
A repeating chorus that means 'Confusion kills'
Bafuka fi tbe hospital-u
Confusion can occur anywhere, including hospitals
Bafuka fit be police station
Confusion can happen even in police stations
Bafuka fit be mortuary
Confusion can occur even at mortuaries
I sing about one street for Lagos
Fela has written a song about a street in Lagos
Called 'Ojou Eelegba
The street is called 'Ojou Eelegba'
I take a copy how Nigeria be
Fela describes how the street reflects Nigeria
One crossroad in center town
'Ojou Eelegba' is a central crossroad in town
For 'Moto dey come from-u East(car)
Cars come from the East on 'Ojou Eelegba'
Moto dey come from-u West
Cars come from the West on 'Ojou Eelegba'
Moto dey come from-u North
Cars come from the North on 'Ojou Eelegba'
Moto dey come from-u South
Cars come from the South on 'Ojou Eelegba'
And police-ee man no dey for center
There are no police officers at the center of 'Ojou Eelegba'
Na confusion be dat ee-oh
This situation seems like 'confusion'
CONFUSION NA WAH
A repeating chorus that means 'Confusion is trouble'
If something good today I go sing, nothing good is ever dey to sing about
Fela finds it difficult to sing about anything positive regarding Nigeria
If I sing-ee say, water no dey
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about the scarcity of water because it is 'old news'
Old old news be dat-ee-oh
This situation is old and expected
If I sing-ee say, electric -ee light no dey
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about the poor supply of electricity because it is 'old news'
If I sing-ee say, Inf-i-lati-on
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about inflation because it is 'old news'
If I sing-ee say, mismanagement
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about mismanagement because it is 'old news'
If I sing-ee say, corrup-u-tion
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about corruption because it is 'old news'
If I sing-ee say, stealing by government
Fela thinks it is pointless to sing about government corruption because it is 'old news'
Di problems still dey ba'gba ra ‘gba
The problems are still multiplying
I say di problems still dey ba'gba ra ‘gba
Fela reiterates the previous statement
LEG-EE ROBBO-ERY
Fela is introducing different types of robbery happening in Nigeria
Where money go pick-ee pockets
Petty thefts where someone steals money from pockets
Dey man go start take leg-ee wrong
The thief escapes on foot
ARM-O ROBBO-ERY
Armed robbery is becoming common
Where man-o go-go steal big things
Theft has escalated to bigger items
He go take-ee gun defend himself
The robber uses a gun to defend himself
HEAD-O ROBBO-ERY
Leaders and politicians stealing from the citizens
Where all pata-pata go-go steal (everything)
This kind of robbery is all-encompassing, involving stealing everything
He go take position, steal all free
The robber takes up a position and steals everything for free
Free stealing, na him policy
Stealing items without compensation is accepted and practiced
Which head-ee get-ee no dey steal?
Fela is asking which politician is honest and doesn't steal
Which president we get-ee never steal?
Fela is asking which president has never stolen from the people
CONFUSION BREAK-EE BONE-EE, YEPA
Confusion can lead to physical and emotional harm
DOUBLE WAHALA FOR DEAD-EE BODY
There are always complications and issues even when someone has passed away
ABIOLA OH DEAD-EE BODY
Fela mentions the death of Abiola, a Nigerian businessman and politician
Writer(s): Kuti Fela Anikulapo
Contributed by Penelope L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BLACK_MikeHammer
Wrong track bro, CCB was strictly about the state of the Nigerian state and nation and how it had decayed and died an untimely death...
His mother's death was about 25yrs to this track, not to say he had gotten over her death, but this track was "confusion break bone, double wahala for deadi body"....
The Nigerian state was the deadi body that had an accident and it had an accident along the way, so double wahala for the Nigerian state...
Not sure if you're full full Nigerian but no disrespect bro,
This track was fully alluding to the carcass the Nigerian nation had become, and this was in the early 90's this track was released...
Decades before the mess it has become..
@BLACK_MikeHammer
Listen to the Shrine live recording of thia track; it's a lot more telling, revealing and with more instrumentals, as well as more lyrics...
This is a shortened version, the diac version.
Not the album version cos this track I dont believe was ever released on an LP or album cover..
Meanwhile Ojuelegba still dey gidigba, no shaking.
Its the not the same as back in the 90'S when Baba sang about it but then again nothing stays static..
R.I.P Abami Eda Omo Iya Ajé aka Olorin la
You'll always remain a legend🙏🏾🙏🏾
@fashinajahmiu6727
Love u Baba Fela, who else is listening to it in this year 2020
@lizaido8914
Me!
@josepharmstrong5525
2021
@mohammednababa332
2021 and beyond sef.
Legendary FELA KUTI
@KarenLondon
Listening in Aug. 2021 over here!
@courtneylangley3609
@Joseph Armstrong k I
@florencejones1738
Baba dug deep on this one. Very emotional. He seemed this was when he totally lost hope for Nigeria
@dayoofere8513
This is Abami Eda in the 80s prophesying that the way he see Nigeria, that the country will go down, as he cannot understand how the country can be making so much money (especially from oil sale ) and the citizens of the country are not seeing the money, this is me prophesying in 2022, that Nigeria will even go down further, as the corruption going on in the country is unprecedented.
@onabanjomatthew1668
I listen to This particular songs almost every day that I want to listen to Fela. I play this song first.. who else is listening to this in 2022
@ezechukwumereze5067
Every thing he sang is still happening and this was over 4 decades ago.
.