Fela Kuti: Original Rebel

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, known more commonly as Fela, is simply put an icon. Fela was a talented, multi-instrumentalist, musician who captivated Nigeria with his pioneering take on the Afrobeat music genre. Fela, born in 1938, didn't just achieve his status by music alone, it was that mixed in with his candid and raw political views. During his heyday, the 1970s and 80s, Nigeria was under military rule, that was rife with the suppression of freedoms and was punctuated by the brutal crackdowns on those who didn't conform. Fela didn't conform, he was, perhaps, the original rebel, and for that the authorities hated him. As Fela's fame grew, domestically and internationally, so did the messages in his songs, which often criticized the government and the police. One of his most popular songs, "Zombie", includes lyrics that translate to "...Zombie won't go until you tell it to go, Zombie won't stop until you tell it to stop..." the song alludes to the mindless police who so frequently resign themselves to mindlessly brutalizing and abusing the population, who are deemed to not obey the quo, all under the instruction of the powers that be. The military and police incessantly sent threats to Fela, ultimately culminating in the raid and burning of his compound and the murder of his mother at the hands of the military. Despite all the pressures that the authorities had put on Fela to submit, he persisted, and in result became a cult legend.

 Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti past away in the year 1997, and over one million people attended his funeral in Lagos. The homage that was paid to him during his resting ceremony has not wavered till today, with Kuti becoming the model revel for standing up to oppression and corruption for Nigerians globally, myself included.
 Musician Burna Boy (left) with a Fela Kuti necklace on

Today, globally, music savants will recognize Kuti as one of the great musical talents of the 20th century, but in Africa and Nigeria, he is a cult icon of legendary status, both in his music and in his persistence to stand for what he believes in.