Main content

Fela Kuti: King of Afrobeat

The extraordinary life and legacy of Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti - maverick performer, musical pioneer, and a continuing inspiration across the world.

Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti was a maverick performer, a musical pioneer, and is a continuing inspiration across the world. But he was also a thorn in the side of the Nigeria鈥檚 successive military governments and a fearless activist for social justice.

Twenty years after his death, Peter Okwoche is joined by three people who all had personal experience of Fela Kuti, to discuss his complex and extraordinary life, musical legacy, and revolutionary political ideals - Dele Sosimi is a former member of Fela Kuti's band and now an acclaimed Afrobeat musician; Carlos Moore wrote the only authorised biography of Fela Kuti, Fela: This Bitch of a Life; and Jahman Anikulapo is a Nigerian arts journalist who followed Fela's career closely.

Photo: Fela Kuti, 1986, Credit: Associated Press

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Wed 4 Jan 2017 02:06GMT

Clip

Links and Further Reading

Broadcasts

  • Mon 2 Jan 2017 02:06GMT
  • Mon 2 Jan 2017 04:06GMT
  • Mon 2 Jan 2017 05:06GMT
  • Tue 3 Jan 2017 09:06GMT
  • Tue 3 Jan 2017 12:06GMT
  • Tue 3 Jan 2017 23:06GMT
  • Wed 4 Jan 2017 02:06GMT

Featured in...

Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

We鈥檇 love to hear your views on charm and charisma for a future Forum.

Podcast