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.
Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My brothers and sisters
I beg you now listen to me now
Oh now listen to me now
My brothers and sisters
I beg you now listen to me now
They na be man
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
(That man!)
Oh yes
[Chorus]
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
Him talk oyinbo pass French man
Me I say him talk oyinbo pass Germany man
The better oyinbo you talk
The more bread you go get
School start na grade four bread
B.A. na grade three bread
M.A. na grade two bread
Ph.D na grade one bread
The better oyinbo you talk
The more bread you go get
They na be man
(Which man?)
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
(That man!)
[Chorus]
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
Oh yes
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
Hear it!
One more time
First thing for early morning
Na newspaper dem give us read
First thing for early morning
Na newspaper dem give us read
The oyinbo wey dey inside
Petty trader no fit to know
The oyinbo wey dey inside
Market woman no fit to read
The oyinbo wey dey inside
Na riddle for laborer man
Inside the paper
Lambastical dey
Inside the paper
Ipso facto, dey that one na Latin
Inside the paper
Jargonism dey
Inside the paper
Youth delinquency dey
Who be deliquent?
Na dem be deliquent
Who be delinquent?
The oyinbo talker delinquent
Who be delinquent?
It no be me o
They na be man
(Which man?)
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
(That man!)
Oh yes
[Chorus]
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
[Fela makes up some gibberish oyinbo]
Him talk oyinbo pass Germany man
Me I say him talk oyinbo pass French man
Fela Kuti's song "Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss" is a critique of the colonial education system that privileged those who spoke English and other "oyinbo" languages at the expense of those who spoke native African languages. The song starts with a call to listen as Fela speaks to his brothers and sisters about a certain man who talks oyinbo very well and is ruling over their land. The chorus repeats and emphasizes how well the man speaks oyinbo, surpassing even native English, American, French, and German speakers.
The second verse talks about how the colonial education system perpetuated the idea that the more oyinbo languages one spoke, the more successful they would be in life. The more oyinbo one spoke, the higher the grades they attained, leading to better-paying jobs and more bread. The third verse talks about how the oyinbo-controlled newspapers were written in such complex language that only those who had been through the colonial education system could understand, effectively shutting out native speakers of African languages who couldn't read the papers. Fela ends the song by mocking the idea that the man who talks oyinbo so well deserves to be in charge, creating nonsense oyinbo words to emphasize the absurdity of the situation.
Overall, the song is a powerful critique of the ways in which colonialism attempted to erase native African languages and elevated European languages as a symbol of power and privilege. Fela uses his music to call for a reappropriation of African languages and cultures as a way for Africans to regain power and autonomy in their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now listen to me now
Fela Kuti is requesting the attention of his audience
My brothers and sisters
Fela Kuti is addressing his audience collectively and unifying them as siblings
I beg you now listen to me now
Fela Kuti is reiterating his request for the attention of his audience
Oh now listen to me now
Fela Kuti is emphasizing his request for the attention of his audience
They na be man
Fela Kuti is referring to a person
(Which man?)
Fela Kuti is asking his audience which person he is referring to
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English fluently and is in a position of power in Nigeria
Oh yes
Fela Kuti is agreeing with his own sentiment
[Chorus]
Fela Kuti is singing the chorus
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than native English speakers
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than American English speakers
Him talk oyinbo pass French man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than French English speakers
Me I say him talk oyinbo pass Germany man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than German English speakers
The better oyinbo you talk
The better you speak English with a Western accent
The more bread you go get
The more money you will make
School start na grade four bread
People who have a basic education only earn enough money for four loaves of bread
B.A. na grade three bread
People with a Bachelor of Arts degree earn enough money for three loaves of bread
M.A. na grade two bread
People with a Master of Arts degree earn enough money for two loaves of bread
Ph.D na grade one bread
People with a Doctorate degree earn enough money for one loaf of bread
They na be man
Fela Kuti is referring to a person
(Which man?)
Fela Kuti is asking his audience which person he is referring to
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English fluently and is in a position of power in Nigeria
Oh yes
Fela Kuti is agreeing with his own sentiment
[Chorus]
Fela Kuti is singing the chorus
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than native English speakers
Oh yes
Fela Kuti is agreeing with his own sentiment
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than American English speakers
Hear it!
Fela Kuti is calling attention to what he is about to say
One more time
Fela Kuti is asking for repetition of something
First thing for early morning
The first thing people do in the morning
Na newspaper dem give us read
The only thing people have to read in the morning is the newspaper
The oyinbo wey dey inside
The English language written in the newspaper
Petty trader no fit to know
Poor people are not able to understand the language in the newspaper
Market woman no fit to read
Poor people are not able to read the newspaper
Na riddle for laborer man
The language in the newspaper is like a puzzle to the working class
Inside the paper
Within the contents of the newspaper
Lambastical dey
The newspaper uses highly critical language
Ipso facto, dey that one na Latin
The newspaper uses Latin words that are hard for most people to understand
Jargonism dey
The newspaper uses technical language that is hard for most people to understand
Youth delinquency dey
The newspaper often reports on youth crime
Who be deliquent?
Fela Kuti is asking who is delinquent
Na dem be deliquent
The people who are the subject of the newspaper's youth crime reporting are delinquent
Who be delinquent?
Fela Kuti is asking who is delinquent
The oyinbo talker delinquent
Fela Kuti is blaming the person who speaks English well for the youth crime problems
Who be delinquent?
Fela Kuti is asking who is delinquent
It no be me o
Fela Kuti is denying responsibility for the youth crime problems
They na be man
Fela Kuti is referring to a person
(Which man?)
Fela Kuti is asking his audience which person he is referring to
Wey talk oyinbo well well to rule our land o
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English fluently and is in a position of power in Nigeria
Oh yes
Fela Kuti is agreeing with his own sentiment
[Chorus]
Fela Kuti is singing the chorus
Him talk oyinbo pass English man!
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than native English speakers
Oh yes
Fela Kuti is agreeing with his own sentiment
Him talk oyinbo pass America man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than American English speakers
[Fela makes up some gibberish oyinbo]
Fela Kuti is mocking the person who speaks English well
Him talk oyinbo pass Germany man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than German English speakers
Me I say him talk oyinbo pass French man
The person Fela Kuti is referring to speaks English better than French English speakers
Contributed by David N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.