FELA KUTI

MAJOR MUSIC ARTISTS - NIGERIA


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Fela Kuti

DESCRIPTION: Fela Kuti

ACTIVITY STATUS: Departed

ACTIVITY PERIOD: 1958 – 1997

MUSIC GENRE: Afrobeat, Highlife

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: NIGERIA

RECORD COMPANIES / LABELS (Current & Past): Barclay/PolyGram, MCA/Universal, Celluloid, EMI Nigeria, JVC, Wrasse, Shanachie, Knitting Factory

OFFICIAL WEB SITE: http://www.felaproject.net/


ABOUT HIM:

FELA KUTI
(1938 - 1997)
The most politicised and outspoken of the recent wave of African musicians, Kuti created a unique fusion of African music, rock music and jazz, resulting in his own definitive big band sound. Though not initially political, he went on to make music which was ever more so, including classic tracks like Zombie. Born into a middle class family in Lagos, he studied in London as a young man, but returned to Nigeria in the early 1960s where he formed his band the Koola Lobitos (later the Afro-Beats). After coming into contact with the ideas of the Black Power movement of the 1970s, he began to write more political songs which made him popular among Nigeria’s millions of underprivileged, but persona non grata with the right-wing national regime. He was harrassed, subjected to physical attack, and at one point jailed on currency charges. His music always retained enormous vigour, vitality and political edge, and during the 1980s he gained a following in Western countries. His popularity was still on the increase when he died in 1997, aged 58 from an AIDS related illness.

By Larry Buttrose

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Parent Category Page Links: Music Artists / Outfits - Nigeria

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