Fela Kuti

saxophone, keyboards, vocals · 1938–1997 · Abeokuta

Born in Abeokuta in 1938, Fela Kuti formed the Koola Lobitos in London while studying at Trinity College of Music, then became, with Africa 70 and drummer Tony Allen, the principal inventor of afrobeat, a blend of West African music, funk, and jazz. His commune, the Kalakuta Republic, founded in 1970, was destroyed by the army in 1977; he died in Lagos in 1997.

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Styles

• Afrobeat, makossa, highlife-jazz
• Fusion, jazz-rock, jazz-funk

Landmark tracks

• Water No Get Enemy (1975)
• Zombie (1976)

Cited in 1 radio episode

• Jun 19, 2025: 40 nouveaux portraits Underground (Culture Club, TSF Jazz, in French)

Sources

• Source
• Source

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