10 Things You Don't Know About Fela Anikulapo Kuti (The father of Afrobeats)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, popularly known as Fela Kuti, was a Nigerian musician, composer, and political activist who is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Afrobeat genre. Here are a few facts about Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

Fela Kuti was born on October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and was the son of a prominent Nigerian Christian family.

He formed his first band, Koola Lobitos, in 1960, and by the late 1960s, he had developed the unique sound and political message that would come to define his music.

1. His father was responsible for the primary education of Obasanjo. Fela's father Mr Ransome Kuti was known then as "Baba gbomgbomo"(the man that steals children) because he use to steal children away from the streets and their mother's house and take them to school to learn...one of those who benefited from this was Olusegun Obasanjo.

2. Fela was predestined to be who he is today. In an interview his mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti said an ifa priest had already told her and husband about the destiny of the Fela when he was a child that he would be very stubborn and he would challenge government. For this, his father took extra interest in his education hoping it would lead to one of two things, that the education would change him or even if he was going to challenge the government he do it as an activist and not a hooligan.

3. Fela did not start smoking at a young age in fact he was still a well-behaved young man until his early 20s.

4. Fela loved s*x, in a book, he said "s*x to me is life, it's a source of life that give great pleasure"

5. Fela was supposed to study medicine and be a doctor but instead he chose music and his brother Beko did medicine. Thank God he chose music and gave us the sound we have today, Afrobeat.

6. He changed his name from Olufela Ransome-Kuti to Fela Anikulapo Kuti. He claimed "Ransome" was a slave name given to his grandfather when he converted to Christianity.

7. Fela was not a Christian, he chose ATR, African Traditional Religion till he died.

8. Fela once named a pet after former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon.

9.Fela Kuti was known for his bold political activism, using his music to criticize the Nigerian government and challenge social norms. He was arrested and beaten several times by the authorities, and his mother was thrown from a window to her death by government agents in 1977.

10. Fela Kuti passed away on August 2, 1997, from complications related to AIDS. His legacy continues to inspire musicians and activists around the world, and he is remembered as a cultural icon and symbol of resistance.