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.
Kalakuta Show
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make we talk something
We never talk before and
We dey see am everyday
(Ahh…Ohhh….Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh)
*repeat 2x
Look de man he dey waka
*[CHORUS] GAGA GUGU GAGA GUGU
*repeat
Hungry dey run for him face
*[CHORUS] WOKO WOKO WOKO WOKO
*repeat
Him pepeye* cap for him head
*[CHORUS] PEPE PEPE PEPE PEPE
*repeat
Him khaki woolen shirt for him body
*[CHORUS] WULU WULU WULU WULU
*repeat
Him trouser dey fly above him knee
*[CHORUS] YAYA YAYA YAYA YAYA
*repeat
The people wey employ da man
Give him permit to carry the thing
Weh bad
Dem give him permit to carry baton
Dem give him permit to carry tear-gas
Dem give him permit to carry bullet
Him fit carry basket for protection too
Na so we dey see am every day
No so he dey happen every day
One day
*[CHORUS] SATURDAY
One day
*[CHORUS] SATURDAY MORNING
The whole thing change
One day
*[CHORUS] 5 A.M.
One day
*[CHORUS] NOVEMBER 23
The whole thing change
One day
*[CHORUS] 1974
One day- Kalakuta Show
One day
*[CHORUS] SATURDAY
One day
*[CHORUS] SATURDAY MORNING
Kalakuta Show
*[CHORUS] 1979
Kalakuta Show
Dem make sure dem
Use tear-gas, baton & bullet
*repeat
Dem use them basket
For protection too
*repeat
Dem do one thing
Dem never do before
*repeat 3x
Dem-o hire … axe-o… dem-o bring… cutlass
*[CHORUS] DEM-O HIRE… AXE-O… DEM BU-RING… CUTLASS
*repeat under verses:
Kalakuta show-o-o
Kalakuta show (una na na na na na na na na)
Kalakuta Show (2x)
Babu wire dem-o cut
Look fence dem break
Look gate dem fall
Everybody dey run
Look head dem break
Look blood him dey flow
Kalakuta show o-o
Kalakuta show
Na na na na na na na
Look loya** him dey come **(lawyer)
Him he loya him dey come
Look loya dem beat
Look loya him dey run
Look loya him dey run
Kalakuta show o-o
Kalakuta show
*Etc….
>Organ solo
>Sax solo
>End with bass/percussion under solo sax
Fela Kuti's Kalakuta Show discusses the corrupt Nigerian government and the brutality that the people face every day. The opening lines talk about how there is something we need to talk about, which we see every day but don't discuss. This is followed by describing the attire of a man, who is probably a police officer or a soldier, wearing a cap, woolen shirt and his trousers above his knee. The chorus repeats the sounds of the man's steps, symbolizing his presence in the people's lives.
The song then talks about the authorities who have given the man permission to carry violent tools like baton, tear-gas, and bullet but they also joke about the possibility of him carrying a basket for protection. Through this song, Fela Kuti is commenting on the brutal regime in power in Nigeria at that time.
The song uses Naija pidgin English, a dialect commonly spoken in Nigeria. The song alludes to several historical events in Nigeria, such as the Black Scorpion saga, where soldiers beat up journalists, lawyers, and activists, and the attack on Fela's home, the Kalakuta Republic, in 1977, where several of his family members and singers were killed.
Line by Line Meaning
Make we talk something
Let's have a conversation about something we haven't discussed before
We never talk before and
This is a new topic for us
We dey see am everyday
But it's something we experience every day
Look de man he dey waka
Look at the man walking
GAGA GUGU GAGA GUGU
The sound effects emphasize the rhythm of the walk
Hungry dey run for him face
The man is visibly hungry
WOKO WOKO WOKO WOKO
Sound effects emphasize the sense of desperation in his hunger
Him pepeye* cap for him head
He wears a cap on his head
PEPE PEPE PEPE PEPE
The sound effects emphasize the appearance of the cap
Him khaki woolen shirt for him body
He wears a woolen shirt of the color khaki
WULU WULU WULU WULU
Sound effects emphasize the appearance of the shirt
Him trouser dey fly above him knee
His trousers are too short
YAYA YAYA YAYA YAYA
Sound effects emphasize his poor clothing, which he is ashamed of
The people wey employ da man
The man's employer
Give him permit to carry the thing
The man is allowed to carry weapons
Dem give him permit to carry baton
He is allowed to carry a baton
Dem give him permit to carry tear-gas
He is allowed to carry tear-gas
Dem give him permit to carry bullet
He is allowed to carry bullets
Him fit carry basket for protection too
He even carries a basket for protection
Na so we dey see am every day
This is something we witness every day
No so he dey happen every day
However, this isn't a common occurrence
SATURDAY
This is a specific day
SATURDAY MORNING
This is a specific morning
5 A.M.
This is a specific time
NOVEMBER 23
This is a specific date
1974
This is a specific year
Kalakuta Show
This is the title of the song
Dem make sure dem
They want to ensure
Use tear-gas, baton & bullet
Tear-gas, batons, and bullets are weapons used to subdue and oppress people
Dem use them basket
They even use a basket for protection
Dem do one thing
They are doing something different
Dem-o hire … axe-o… dem-o bring… cutlass
They even hire people to bring weapons like axes and cutlasses
Kalakuta show-o-o
The Kalakuta Show has begun
Babu wire dem-o cut
They cut the wires
Look fence dem break
They break down the fence
Look gate dem fall
They push down the gate
Everybody dey run
Everyone is running
Look head dem break
They hit people on the head and cause injury
Look blood him dey flow
People are bleeding
Look loya** him dey come **(lawyer)
The lawyer is coming
Him he loya him dey come
The lawyer is coming to help
Look loya dem beat
They beat the lawyer
Look loya him dey run
The lawyer is running away for protection
Kalakuta show
The Kalakuta Show continues
Contributed by Maria P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Matthew-ut6ed
I'm from the UK and this album was the first thing I ever heard by Fela. It was the late 70's. It blew my head apart. I couldn't believe it. It was the most powerful thing I'd ever heard and funky beyond belief. I followed Fela ever after. Still today nobody else comes close to the power of his grooves or the honesty and commitment of his vision.
@Jahdid2
❤❤❤
@alejandrogn4
Hope you were wise enough to go see him!
@tommi1864
Remember when he said, "...we fear for the air around us. we fear for the thing we cannot see..."? No doubt it was true in Nigeria st the time and now thanks to mind controlling propaganda of the masses, it's "true" world wide
@claudearchibald
This is the greatest of all afrobeat grooves!
@daveleafey9283
Music period
@africarib
Some of the most beautiful pain you will ever hear. I find myself conflicted sometimes in the middle of listening to Fela's songs about this day and his other conflicts with the government. It is heartbreaking that this amazing sound was born out of him and his family having to suffer terrorisms at the hands of his own country and usually in what should have been the safety of his own home. Also makes me sad for the people who are not fortunate enough to have an outlet for their own traumas the way Fela did.
@louisotieno4712
Thank You
@paulypavillion
Fela Kuti is one of the best musical experiences I've even had!
@sanziohanzo
Fela Kuti was, is and will still be, as high as Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Truly brothers across time.