Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Fela Anikulapo Kuti or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre, human rights activist, and political maverick.
Biography
Early life and career
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on 15 October 1938 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria into an upper-middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement; his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school principal, was the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. His brothers, Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, both medical doctors, are well known in Nigeria. Fela was a first cousin to the Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
He attended the Abeokuta Grammar School in Abeokuta and later he was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music, the trumpet being his preferred instrument. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a fusion of jazz and highlife. In 1960, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All Stars.
Podcasts:
Fela Kuti
ALBUMS
- The Best of the Black President 2 released: 2013
- Fela Da Great Non Stop Mix Vol. 1 - Don't Worry About My Dress released: 2010
- The Complete Works of Fela Anikulapo Kuti released: 2010
- Anthology 2 released: 2010
- Anthology 1 released: 2007
- Army Arrangement released: 2005
- The Underground Spiritual Game (Mixed by Chief Xcel) released: 2004
- Underground System released: 2001
- Ikoyi Blindness / Kalakuta Show released: 2001
- Yellow Fever / Na Poi released: 2001
- Open & Close / Afrodisiac (feat. The Africa '70) released: 2001
- Stalemate / Fear Not for Man released: 2001
- Monkey Banana / Excuse O released: 2001
- The Best Best of Fela Kuti released: 2000
- Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense released: 2000
- Shakara / London Scene released: 2000
- The Best of Fela Kuti: The Black President released: 2000
- The Anthology released: 2000
- The Two Sides of Fela: Jazz & Dance released: 1999
- Music Is the Weapon of the Future released: 1998
- Underground System released: 1998
- Original Suffer Head / I.T.T. released: 1998
- Vols 1 & 2 released: 1996
- Black Man's Cry released: 1992
- Confusion Break Bones released: 1990
- ODOO: Overtake Don Overtake Overtake released: 1989
- Perambulator released: 1983
- Black President released: 1981
- Authority Stealing released: 1980
- Music of Many Colors released: 1980
- Unknown Soldier released: 1979
- V.I.P. (Vagabonds in Power) released: 1979
- ITT released: 1979
- Opposite People released: 1977
- Fear Not for Man released: 1977
- Stalemate released: 1977
- Shuffering and Shmiling released: 1977
- Opposite People / Sorrow Tears and Blood released: 1977
- No Bread released: 1976
- Kalakuta Show released: 1976
- Excuse O released: 1976
- Open & Close released: 1972
- Fela Fela Fela released: 1969
- Fela Ransome Kuti and His Koola Lobitos released: 1965
- Live! released:
- Lagos Baby 1963-1969 released:
- Why Black Man Dey Suffer released:
- Afro-Beat Jazz released:
- Mr. Follow Follow released:
- Ikoyi Blindness released:
- Afrodisiac released:
- Music Is the Weapon of the Future, Volume 2 released:
- Buy America released:
- Buy Africa released:
- Beasts of No Nation released:
- Army Arrangement released:
- 2000 Blacks released:
Born: 1938-10-15
Died: 1997-08-02
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Expensive Shit
by: Fela KutiEran na goat o, for Yoruba land
Eran na goat o, for Yoruba land
Him go bend him yansh him go shit
Him go commot away from him shit
Him shit go be the last thing wey he go like to see
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Obo na monkey for Yoruba land
Him go bend him yansh him go shit
Him go commot away from him shit
Him shit go be the last thing wey he go like to see
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Obinrin na woman for Yoruba land
Obinrin na woman for Yoruba land
She go bend she yansh she go shit
She go commot away from she shit
She shit go be the last thing wey she go like to see
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Okunrin na man for Yoruba land
Okunrin na man for Yoruba land
Him go bend him yansh him go shit
Him go commot away from him shit
Shit go be the last thing wey he go like to see
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Because why o? (Because the shit dey smell!)
Tell me now now
Me I be Fela, I be Black Power man
Me I be Fela, I be Black Power man
I go bend my yansh I go shit
I go commot away from the shit
The shit go be the last thing wey I go like to see
No be so for some fools wey I know
No be so for some stupid people I know
No be so for some fools wey I know
People wey go like to quench your soul
People wey go like to quench your soul
[Chorus]
En! Alagbon o
Them go use your shit to put you for jail
And don tell my shit too expensive shit
My shit na exhibit, it must not lost o
And don tell my shit too expensive shit
My shit na exhibit, it must not lost o
En! Alagbon o
En! Alagbon o
En! Alagbon o
En! Alagbon o
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