Artist
Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti built Afrobeat out of hard bop, highlife and a political education he never asked for. Born in Abeokuta in 1938 into a family that made a habit of confronting power—his mother Funmilayo led anti-colonial protests, his father ran the Nigeria Union of Teachers—he left for London in 1958 to study composition at Trinity College of Music and spent his nights in Soho clubs absorbing jazz.
The full story is in Afrobeat.
At a glance
- Active
- 1958–1997
- From
- Abeokuta, Nigeria
- Listening guide track
- “Zombie”
Listen
In the Afrobeat listening guide: “Zombie”
In the issues
- AfrobeatPrincipal · 1968-1997 · Members
Afrobeat is a genre from Lagos, Nigeria, 1968–1997. Its principal artists include Fela Kuti, Tony Allen and Sandra Izsadore. This issue covers 9 essential albums and 14 dated events.
Terms
- Highlife
- A West African popular music genre, originating in Ghana and spreading through Nigeria, that blends indigenous rhythms and melodies with Western instruments such as guitar and horns.