By Fela Kuti and the Weaponization of Afrobeat
The Spirit of the Shrine: Fela Kuti and the Weaponization of Afrobeat
​To understand Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is to understand a force that transcends music. In the Yoruba tradition, he was often described as an Abami Eda a strange, supernatural being. Some believe his Eleda (destiny) was specifically designed by the divine to combat Ibi (evil). Whether viewed through a spiritual or political lens, Fela’s life was a masterclass in defiance, proving that one man’s voice can rattle the foundations of a military state.
​More Than Music: The Birth of a Republic
​Fela didn’t just play songs; he created a lifestyle and a political movement. He pioneered Afrobeat, a hypnotic fusion of jazz, funk, and traditional African rhythms. However, his most radical act was the creation of the Kalakuta Republic. In the heart of Lagos, Fela declared his communal compound an independent state, separate from the Nigerian military government.
​This was an unprecedented challenge to state authority. The government responded with overwhelming force. In 1977, a thousand soldiers stormed Kalakuta. They brutalized the residents, burned Fela’s master tapes, and tragically threw his mother civil rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti from a window, leading to her eventual death.
​The Trial of Corrupt Power
​Despite being arrested over 200 times, Fela remained unbroken. His response to the destruction of his home was characteristic: he marched a coffin to the seat of government power. His music became his legal brief against the system. Tracks like “Zombie” mocked the blind obedience of the military, while “International Thief Thief (I.T.T.)” called out corporate and political exploitation.
​Fela’s defiance extended to his personal life. In a single day, he married 27 women his backup dancers and singers not just as a cultural statement, but to protect them from the stigma and state harassment they faced for being associated with him.
​The Living Orisha
​Fela Anikulapo-Kuti—the name Anikulapo meaning “one who carries death in his pouch” believed he was immortal through his purpose. Today, many regard him as a modern day Orisha, a deity like figure whose spirit continues to inspire movements for justice globally.
​Despite his global influence, his story remains largely absent from formal school curricula in Africa. This raises a haunting question: Is Fela still “too radical” for the classroom because the systems he fought against are still in place? When a musician becomes a threat to the state, it is the system itself that is truly on trial.
