Progressive Soul Mondays: Fela Kuti

After falling in love at first listen to “Dance or Die” from Janelle Monae’s The ArchAndroid, I decided to take Progressive in a different direction this week. I knew as soon as I heard the beat drop where her influence came from…none other than Fela Anikulapo Kuti (this was later confirmed in her liner notes, but I digress…)

Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1938, Fela Kuti was the innovator of a genre of music called Afrobeat, which is a fusion of African jazz, funk, and highlife. Though Fela’s beats were hot, his lyrics were very political and controversial; so much so that in 1977, his commune, called Kalakuta Republic was attacked and burned to the ground.  His mother was also thrown from a window during the attack, which resulted in her death.  The following year, Kuti commemorated the destruction of Kalakuta Republic by marrying 27 women, many of whom were his singers and background dancers.  Fela Kuti died in 1997 from complications from AIDS at the age of 58.


— Desiree


Here is a sampling of his groundbreaking work:


“Zombie”


“Water No Get Enemy”