Fela Kuti I The faded worker jacket

THE KING OF AFROBEAT

FELA KUTI (1938-1997) - NIGERIA

Born into a committed family, Fela Kuti went to study music in London in 1958. While touring the United States with his band in 1969, he met Sandra Izsadore, who introduced him to a history of Africa he was unaware of, as well as the struggle of the Black Panther Party. Having become a Pan-Africanist upon his return to Nigeria, he added the name Anikulapo ("he who carries death in his pocket") and created Afrobeat, a musical style combining jazz, soul, ju-ju rhythms, and highlife. In 1974, Fela Kuti founded the Republic of Kalakuta, an alternative and autonomous place (school, hospital, etc.). Convinced that "music is a weapon," he denounced in his songs in pidgin, the language of the people, corruption, dictatorship, and the power of multinationals, which earned him persecution. Fela Kuti's influence on the international music scene has continued to grow since his death in August 1997.

A creation by the artist Joy Hanoun