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.
Everything Scatter
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oo oo oo oo oo oo
One bus dey come now (woo woo woo woo woo)
It pass from the side (woo woo woo woo woo)?? Fela Kuti in public?? (woo woo woo woo woo)
One man inside the bus (woo woo woo woo woo)
Him start to yap (ya ya ya ya ya)
Him say "Look those people" (ye ye ye ye ye)
Them be ye-ye people (ya ya ya ya ya)
Them be amugbo people (ye ye ye ye ye)
One man come stand (ya ya ya ya ya)
Him say "Don't call them like that" (ye ye ye ye ye)
Them be my people (ya ya ya ya ya)
Before you know commotion don start
Big trouble, big argument
Big fight, big everything
Commotion de go, commotion de come
Fight de start, fight de stop
Trouble de turn round and round
Before conductor come vex, conductor come vex now (ya ya ya ya ya)
Him can hear everything (ye ye ye ye ye)
Him carry the bus (ya ya ya ya ya)
Him carry the passenger (ye ye ye ye ye)
Him say "Police station in ya oo" (re re oo, re re oo) X2
Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya - this country na wah (ya ya ya ya ya)
This country na wah (ye ye ye ye ye)
Him even start to yap (ya ya ya ya ya)
Ooroo wooroo for them front (ye ye ye ye ye)
Ooroo wooroo for them back (ya ya ya ya ya)
Him say "bring me the Fela people"
Make am lock am, charge am forgot
Before I shut (their) big mouth for am
Then I hand am to mosquito
That is how this country be, that is how this country be.
That is why everything dey scatter scatter, that is why everything dey scatter scatter X2
No wonder re re de ro?? make them yap (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder re re de ro (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder??? spread (?) the road (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder??? de stop suddenly (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder money no de flow (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder people no get job (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder re re de ro (no wonder re re de ro) X4.
"Everything Scatter" is a song performed by Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, and released in 1975. The song is a social commentary on the state of Nigeria at the time, both politically and socially. The lyrics describe a bus journey in which an argument breaks out between passengers, leading to chaos and violence. The argument begins when one passenger insults a group of people, calling them "ye-ye people" and "amugbo people", which leads another passenger to defend them, saying they are his people. The conductor eventually intervenes, threatening to take them to the police station.
The song goes on to describe other problems in Nigeria, such as corruption, unemployment, and an unreliable transportation system. The chorus, "No wonder everything scatter scatter", speaks to the chaos and disorder that can result from these issues.
The lyrics of "Everything Scatter" are a powerful critique of Nigerian society that still resonate today. Fela Kuti's ability to use music as a tool for political and social commentary made him an influential figure in Nigerian culture and beyond. Additionally, the song's fusion of funk, jazz, and traditional African music styles helped to popularize Afrobeat in the 1970s and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Na to ri?? I wan drag you??
What's up? Can I talk to you?
One bus dey come now (woo woo woo woo woo)
A bus is approaching
It pass from the side (woo woo woo woo woo)?? Fela Kuti in public?? (woo woo woo woo woo)
The bus passes by Fela Kuti and his group
One man inside the bus (woo woo woo woo woo)
One passenger is inside the bus
Him start to yap (ya ya ya ya ya)
He starts to talk carelessly and loudly
Him say "Look those people" (ye ye ye ye ye)
He says 'look at those people'
Them be ye-ye people (ya ya ya ya ya)
He calls them unsophisticated
Them be amugbo people (ye ye ye ye ye)
He calls them illiterate
One man come stand (ya ya ya ya ya)
Another man steps up
Him say "Don't call them like that" (ye ye ye ye ye)
He defends the people who were insulted previously
Them be my people (ya ya ya ya ya)
The defender claims that those people are his people
Commotion don start
A disturbance has started
Big trouble, big argument
There is a heated argument and trouble brewing
Big fight, big everything
There is a commotion and conflict
Commotion de go, commotion de come
The disturbance keeps going back and forth
Fight de start, fight de stop
The fight starts and stops repeatedly
Trouble de turn round and round
The trouble keeps going in circles
Before conductor come vex, conductor come vex now (ya ya ya ya ya)
Before the bus conductor gets angry, he gets angry now
Him can hear everything (ye ye ye ye ye)
He overhears the argument and commotion
Him carry the bus (ya ya ya ya ya)
He takes control and drives off
Him carry the passenger (ye ye ye ye ye)
He takes the passenger with him
Him say "Police station in ya oo" (re re oo, re re oo) X2
He says 'let's go to the police station'
Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya - this country na wah (ya ya ya ya ya)
This country is a mess
This country na wah (ye ye ye ye ye)
This country is messed up
Him even start to yap (ya ya ya ya ya)
He himself starts to talk carelessly and loudly
Ooroo wooroo for them front (ye ye ye ye ye)
He falsely accuses others of bad things
Ooroo wooroo for them back (ya ya ya ya ya)
He spreads lies behind their backs
Him say "bring me the Fela people"
He tries to unjustly harm Fela and his group
Make am lock am, charge am forgot
He wants them arrested and detained for no good reason
Before I shut (their) big mouth for am
He wants to silence their voices
Then I hand am to mosquito
He wants them to face a deadly punishment
That is how this country be, that is how this country be.
This kind of thing is common in this country
That is why everything dey scatter scatter, that is why everything dey scatter scatter X2
That is why everything falls apart
No wonder re re de ro?? make them yap (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder things have gone haywire
No wonder re re de ro (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder things are messed up
No wonder??? spread (?) the road (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder the roads are in a bad condition
No wonder??? de stop suddenly (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder things suddenly stop working
No wonder money no de flow (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder there's no money circulating
No wonder people no get job (no wonder re re de ro)
No wonder people don't have jobs
No wonder re re de ro (no wonder re re de ro) X4.
There are several reasons why things are messed up
Writer(s): Kuti Fela Anikulapo
Contributed by Mia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@simbafred9673
I cannot get tired of listening to fela kutis ,femi kuti and seun kuti men this guy passed real genes to his boys.
@anthonyisrael9229
Baba na baba
@nadinedavalos4889
Still and always love his music,beat and message after 40 years, greatest Nigerian personality
@paolacarrera8344
Pure gold is what FELAs music is...pure gold
@balighsohbani2350
Chors are masterpiece, saxo is perfect, lyrics are punchlines....Fela you're great !!!
@tamikalewis2766
I feel like royalty listening to this
@toniitana6351
We R royalty
@salihoubaba872
the best african musician for all the time...
@wilsonolaiya7578
And arguably the entire world for all ages
@virtuouspleasant9346
@@wilsonolaiya7578 Yes... greatest musician in the world of all time.