Seven facts to sabi about Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Fela Anikulapo Kuti don enta di news again almost 30 years afta e kpai and e no even be time for Felabration.

Ova di years, many Nigerian stars wey comot di kontri don get comparisons to di Afrobeat musician afta im passing.

As music inheritance, Fela music don dey sampled ova di years by many musicians worldwide most notably, Kendrick Lamar wit Mortal Man, Tiwa Savage 49-99 and Wizkid Jaiye Jaiye.

At di end of 2025, dem bin host art exhibition for Nigeria wey bin dey about im life and music wey dem call Afrobeat rebellion.

So, wetin be some of di facts wey you fit no know about im life even though dem don dey loud im tori for ova 50 years

E comot for im exhibition say apart from using im music to call out di govment, Fela Kuti bin dey buy space for newspapers at di time to dey hala to di govment about wetin e see say dem do wrong.

Di section im bin dey write for dis newspapers for di 1970s bin dey written in pidgin and always start wit "Chief Priest Says".

Di content include yabbing govment for wetin dem dey do wrong or dem go call out di corruption of multinationals or call America out for neo-colonialism. But sometimes na just to announce di next time wey e dey run im concert

For 20 February 1978, e marry 27 of di women wey gada for im side from di middle of 70s.

Di mata bin vex some pipo but Fela say e see am as say e dey go back to African tradition. Di marriage for many of di women no really last.

Fela start di Fela Shrine for 1973 as im own nightclub wia im new group Africa 70 bin dey play several times a week wit songs wey dey long reach 30 minutes.

Di altar of di Shrine bin get picture of Pan-African leaders like Kwame Nkurumah, Malcom X and im mama Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti wit images of Yoruba gods dem.

Na for di early 70s wey Fela change im family name from Ransome wey e tok say e see as slave name to Anikulapo Kuti wey mean "di pesin wey carry death for im pocket".

No be only break in tradition for name but di first most influential Ransome-Kuti na im grandpapa, Reverend Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti wey be di first Nigerian wey record music ontop record plate. Fela also comot from di religion of Christianity.

For Kalakuta wey Fela call im small republic, e bin dey like to waka round di place and many pictures bin dey of am dey wear only pant.

E reveal say di reason na to show im slim bodi as e different to how pipo dey see how success suppose be for pesin bodi for Nigeria. E also show all di scars of di bulala im don chop becos of im resistance to police violence.

However, e still keep di tradition of activism alive wey im mama bin get.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti bin call im small community around wia im dey live say na Kalakuta. E bin dey named afta one of di prisons wey Fela bin stay inside.

Kalakuta Republic be like small state wey get im own clinic and bin house plenti homeless pipo including pipo wey bin dey ginger on top political tok-tok

"Fela die of one beating wey too many. Im body dey covered in scars and im mind and spirit gatz cope wit 200 arrests. Di system fit only take so much," Rikki Stein tell di BBC for interview to mark di publication of im memoir – in part about di 15 years of managing one of Nigeria most influential musicians.

One of di times wey dem gbab am na for 4 September 1984 wey dem arrest am as e dey plan to climb plane for for international tour.

Dem gbab am say e dey do currency trafficking sake of £1600 wey dey im bag wey im no declare - and dem sentence am to five years for prison.

According to Afrobeat Rebellion, pipo hala sotay just 532 days afta dem lock am up, for 23 April 1986 dem free am afta di judge wey sentence am say na govment bin pressure am.

Stein believe say dis no be about di moni. Di military see am as stubborn pesin for dia side and dem wan silence am.

But e get di opposite effect. Im arrest bin cause public anger for di world, Amnesty International bin declare am prisoner of conscience and im music become more widely known and radio stations dey play im work for di day.