Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician and composer who pioneered the Afrobeat genre (a unique combination of funk, psychedelic rock, jazz, and Yoruba chants). He also became known as a prolific civil rights activist and a political force in Nigeria and beyond, with especially outspoken views about both bureaucratic corruption and the after-effects of colonialism. Deeply influenced by the politics of the ‘Black Panther Party,’ Kuti’s music grew increasingly radical as he transitioned to pidgin English to increase his pan-African appeal. The Nigerian government he criticized did not react well to his catechisms and had the singer arrested over 200 times. The government also had his family and friends harassed repeatedly. Kuti believed in polygamy and was married to several women at the same time. He had eight children, three of them with his first wife. Kuti’s legacy has only grown stronger after his death, and he continues to be hailed as an African legend.
