Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: From Medicine to Music Mastery

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: From Medicine to Music Mastery

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: From Medicine to Music Mastery

In the late 1950s, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was sent to the United Kingdom by his parents to pursue a medical degree, as was common for many young Africans at the time. However, upon arriving in London in 1958, Fela realized that his true calling wasn’t in medicine, but in music. He subsequently enrolled at Trinity College of Music (now known as Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance) to study composition and the trumpet.

You are reading from the page of home of History _During his time there, Fela formed a band called Koola Lobitos, which began to develop a distinct sound that would later become known as Afrobeat. His music was a blend of various influences, including James Brown’s funk, Miles Davis’ jazz, Frank Sinatra’s swing, and traditional Yoruba rhythms, alongside Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife. Koola Lobitos soon became a fixture in London’s music scene.

In 1969, Fela returned to Nigeria, and his band underwent several rebrandings, from Nigeria ’70 to Afrika ’70, Egypt ’70, and ultimately Egypt ’80. That same year, while on tour in the United States, Fela encountered the Black Power movement, which significantly impacted his music, transforming it into a vehicle for social and political activism.

Today, Fela’s groundbreaking sound continues to influence artists and producers across the globe.

You are reading from the page of Home Of History