As Broadway musical 'Fela!' set open, everything you need to know of Afrobeat legend:
1. The legendary musician later known as Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on Oct. 15, 1938 in Abeokuta,Nigeria.
2. In 1958, the young musician went to London to study medicine. Instead, he switched to Trinity College of Music.
3. At school, Fela formed the band Koola Lobitos, with whom he developed an early version of the style that would forge an entire genre: Afrobeat.
4. Afrobeat fuses African jazz, funk, Ghanaian highlife and psychedelic rock. This groove-based music style prizes roiling jams and improvised interplays between rhythm and soloing that can balloon the songs from 10 minutes to even 40 minutes.
5. Fela played many instruments, from guitar to drums, but his fat, juicy sax work remained his signature sound.
6. In 1960, Fela married the first of 27 wives. He drew many from his pool of dancers and backup singers. The star explained his polygamy by saying, "A man goes for many women in the first place."
7. In the '70s, Fela divorced 12 of the wives. By the mid-'80s, he got rid of the remaining 15. His explanation? "Marriage brings jealousy and selfishness."
8. In 1969, Fela played the very first dates with his band in America. Here, he came under the influence of the Black Panther Party, whose fiery stances inspired him to further politicize his music. That became evident in his new band: Nigeria '70.
9. After being deported from the U.S. for not carrying the proper work permits, Fela returned to Nigeria and formed the Kalakuta Republic, a recording facility and commune that he came to declare as its own state, distinct from Nigeria. 10. Fela soon changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"). He called his birth middle name, Ransome, "a slave name."
11. The musician's increasingly political, and confrontational, music started to alarm the Nigerian government, which raided his Kalakuta compound.
12. In 1972, British superstar drummer Ginger Baker (late of Cream) recorded music with Fela that greatly upped the African's profile with Western rock fans.
13. In 1977, Fela's anti-military album "Zombie" so angered the government, it launched an attack on Kalakuta, which resulted in the death of Fela's mother, who was thrown from a window. The studio and compound was destroyed. Fela himself narrowly escaped death.
14. In 1979, Fela formed his own political party and tried to run for president of the country, but the government refused his candidacy.
15. In 1984, Nigeria's military govern-ment threw him in jail, accusing him of currency smuggling. He spent 20 months in prison.
16. In 1986, Fela enjoyed his greatest Western exposure by performing at Giants Stadium in an Amnesty International concert that also featured Bono and Santana.
17. On Aug. 6, 1997, Fela died of Kaposi's sarcoma, brought on by AIDS. More than 1 million people attended his funeral.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/11/22/2009-11-22_fela_kuti_as_broadway_musical_fela_set_to_open_everything_you_need_to_know_of_af.html#ixzz0Xga6XmKv
1. The legendary musician later known as Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on Oct. 15, 1938 in Abeokuta,Nigeria.
2. In 1958, the young musician went to London to study medicine. Instead, he switched to Trinity College of Music.
3. At school, Fela formed the band Koola Lobitos, with whom he developed an early version of the style that would forge an entire genre: Afrobeat.
4. Afrobeat fuses African jazz, funk, Ghanaian highlife and psychedelic rock. This groove-based music style prizes roiling jams and improvised interplays between rhythm and soloing that can balloon the songs from 10 minutes to even 40 minutes.
5. Fela played many instruments, from guitar to drums, but his fat, juicy sax work remained his signature sound.
6. In 1960, Fela married the first of 27 wives. He drew many from his pool of dancers and backup singers. The star explained his polygamy by saying, "A man goes for many women in the first place."
7. In the '70s, Fela divorced 12 of the wives. By the mid-'80s, he got rid of the remaining 15. His explanation? "Marriage brings jealousy and selfishness."
8. In 1969, Fela played the very first dates with his band in America. Here, he came under the influence of the Black Panther Party, whose fiery stances inspired him to further politicize his music. That became evident in his new band: Nigeria '70.
9. After being deported from the U.S. for not carrying the proper work permits, Fela returned to Nigeria and formed the Kalakuta Republic, a recording facility and commune that he came to declare as its own state, distinct from Nigeria. 10. Fela soon changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"). He called his birth middle name, Ransome, "a slave name."
11. The musician's increasingly political, and confrontational, music started to alarm the Nigerian government, which raided his Kalakuta compound.
12. In 1972, British superstar drummer Ginger Baker (late of Cream) recorded music with Fela that greatly upped the African's profile with Western rock fans.
13. In 1977, Fela's anti-military album "Zombie" so angered the government, it launched an attack on Kalakuta, which resulted in the death of Fela's mother, who was thrown from a window. The studio and compound was destroyed. Fela himself narrowly escaped death.
14. In 1979, Fela formed his own political party and tried to run for president of the country, but the government refused his candidacy.
15. In 1984, Nigeria's military govern-ment threw him in jail, accusing him of currency smuggling. He spent 20 months in prison.
16. In 1986, Fela enjoyed his greatest Western exposure by performing at Giants Stadium in an Amnesty International concert that also featured Bono and Santana.
17. On Aug. 6, 1997, Fela died of Kaposi's sarcoma, brought on by AIDS. More than 1 million people attended his funeral.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/11/22/2009-11-22_fela_kuti_as_broadway_musical_fela_set_to_open_everything_you_need_to_know_of_af.html#ixzz0Xga6XmKv
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