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Fela Kuti Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.
Fela Kuti facts for kids
| Fela Kuti | |
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Fela Kuti in 1970
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti |
| Born | 15 October 1938 Abeokuta, Nigeria |
| Origin | Abeokuta, Nigeria |
| Died | 2 August 1997 (aged 58) Lagos, Nigeria |
| Genres | Afrobeat |
| Occupations | musician, activist |
| Instruments | Saxophone Vocals Keyboards Trumpet Guitar Drums |
| Years active | 1958–1997 |
| Labels | Barclay/PolyGram Records Barclay/Universal Records Barclay/MCA/Universal Records Shanachie Records (US) Celluloid Records EMI Records Nigeria (Nigeria) JVC Records (Japan) Wrasse Records (UK, US) Knitting Factory Records (US) |
| Associated acts | Africa '70 Egypt '80 Koola Lobitos Nigeria ’70 Ginger Baker Tony Allen Femi Kuti Seun Kuti Roy Ayers |
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. The American singer James Brown said that Kuti was one of the originators (starters) of the funk genre.
Kuti died in 1997 of Kaposi's sarcoma, an illness caused by AIDS. In 2008 a musical production called Fela! was created, about Kuti's life and career.
Images for kids
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Reverend Israel and Funmilayo beside him, Dolu is behind and Fela in foreground, baby in arms is not named (most likely Beko), Olikoye is to the right