Fela Kuti
Nigerian musician and activist (1938–1997) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), or just Fela, was a Nigerian musician and composer who was very important in a genre called afrobeat. He played the saxophone, guitar, drums, keyboards and trumpet, and he sang. He was also a human rights activist.[1] The American singer James Brown said that Kuti was one of the originators (starters) of the funk genre.
Quick Facts Background information, Birth name ...
Fela Kuti | |
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![]() Fela Kuti in 1970 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti |
Born | (1938-10-15)15 October 1938 Abeokuta, Nigeria |
Origin | Abeokuta, Nigeria |
Died | 2 August 1997(1997-08-02) (aged 58) Lagos, Nigeria |
Genres | Afrobeat |
Occupation(s) | musician, activist |
Instruments | Saxophone Vocals Keyboards Trumpet Guitar Drums |
Years active | 1958–1997 |
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Kuti died in 1997 of Kaposi's sarcoma, an illness caused by AIDS.[2] In 2008 a musical production called Fela! was created, about Kuti's life and career.