In the late 1960s, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti forged a new sound. He called it Afrobeat, a blend of West African rhythms with American funk and jazz. But this was not just music for dancing. Fela saw it as a political weapon to fight Nigeria’s corrupt military dictatorships. After a tour of the United States in 1969, he was inspired by the Black Power movement. He returned to Lagos and transformed his nightclub, the Afrika Shrine, into a political sanctuary. Between songs, he would deliver long, spoken-word attacks on the government, known as 'yabis'. To his many followers, Fela was becoming more than a musician; they called him the 'Black President', a voice for the powerless.
Fela Kuti and the Sound of Revolution
How Fela Kuti created Afrobeat and used his song 'Zombie' to attack Nigeria's military, leading to the 1977 raid on his Kalakuta Republic.
Chapter 1
The Sound of a Weapon
0:47
People in this story
Part of
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Afrobeat?
Afrobeat is a music genre created by Fela Kuti in the late 1960s. It combines West African music like highlife with American jazz and funk. The style is known for long instrumental tracks, complex polyrhythms, and politically charged lyrics often sung in Pidgin English.
Why was Fela Kuti's compound called the Kalakuta Republic?
Fela declared his commune an independent state to show his defiance of Nigeria's military government. He named it 'Kalakuta' as a mocking reference to a prison cell he had once been confined in. The compound had its own studio and clinic.
What was the song 'Zombie' about?
'Zombie' was a 1976 protest song that satirized the Nigerian military. It used a marching beat and lyrics that portrayed soldiers as mindless robots who only followed orders. The song became a popular anthem and infuriated the government.
Learn more
To continue the story, download the Chunks Microlearning app
Or get it straight away:
Download on iOS
Download on Android