Music and Revolution: A Study of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF STUDY
Consequently the study is aim at;
- Establishing the fact that music is a critical and essential instrument of change-making.
- To demonstrate how Fela’s music has been use as instrument of change-making in the past.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Music and its relationship with change making was an area that had attracted attention from a few scholars, but in recent times the need becomes inherent has contemporary exposure to music and change making. The Nigerian music industry has produced and its still producing a lot of great celebrities that play a major role in the political development of a country portraying music as a revolution or change makingamongst these musicians include Tu face ldibia with “for instance or ebi like say “, sound sultan with”jagbanjantis and light up Niger area “Blackface with “hard life”, Eedris with “jagajaga “, AfricanChina with “Mr. president “, p square with ”oga police”. Just to mention a few in the contemporary Nigeria. However it was Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome Kuti (later Fela Anikulapo kuti which translate to he who carries death or he who holds death in his pocket “ that was the symbolic representation of rthymic opposition as the impact and importance of fela Anikulapo kuti to the global musical village , producer, political radical outlaw , which comes to bear with the creation of Afro beat which is popularize in Africa in the 1970s that came to gain international recognition and its relevance to change making arises with not just creation of his Afro beat but what its stands for in the revolutionary Tune in his music. Fela’s musical life spanned through the periods of almost four decades from 1960s through to the 1990s. When he first in the 1960s. His brand of music was the high life which he performed with other artist in many night clubs in Lagos. Political activism through music has over the years been a common factor such as rap music in the early 1980’s became highly politicized in the united states. Jaclyn Nardone (2009) drawing largely from the works and life of John Lennon (1940-1980), world renowned musician (former ‘Beatle’ until 1969) and peace activist, asserts that Lennon used his music to fight unjust politics, promote his opposition to the Vietnam war, and express his love for the human race. As such, He understood that people could be changed. By changing the system, (the Irish, Russians and French did it but got them nowhere.) it is the same old game. Thus, Lennon was inspired to adapt new measures and change people and politics through his music. In other words, moving to change the system first without changing the people that comprise the society would be a fruitless endeavor. Music thus come to play the primary role of changing the people from their minds so further changes to the system could be fruitful. Jaclyn Nardone further asserts that culture is music, thus politicizing music is a means of arousing political culture.
Paul Buzenski (2008) in his own view asserts that music plays a critical role in the electioneering process of a country. He supports his points by asserting that musicians such as Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Dixie Chicks, Elton John, Grateful Dead, Madonna, Ne-Yo, The Decemberists, The Goo-Goo Dolls among a host of others have held concerts, primarily for Barack Obama, as a way of influencing America. These icons of popular culture can have a profound influence on potential voters. An example of this influence was the concert held in Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen. This Bruce Springsteen’s concert in Philadelphia was to act as “…a catalyst for the disengaged to register to vote”. Plenty of people heard the call and according to the Obama campaign, some 21,000 new voters were registered as a result of the event. This also helped Clinton to win his presidency by mobilizing the young people. Likewise, in 2008, Rock Activists such as Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen held concerts to support and gather votes for the candidates and they registered almost 2.3 million young people who by and large support Obama and probably facilitated Obama’s victory over McCain.
CHAPTER THREE
FELA AND THE FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA
Fela Anikulapo kuti displayed a brazen defiance against the Nigerian Government and other corrupt officials of his time through his music. According to Remi Adekoya, Fela’s lyrics were searing denunciation of Nigeria’s socio economic reality. His musical tune was focused on
Corruption, abuse of power, mental emancipation from colonialism and the need for Nigerians to stand up for their right ‘ His major weapon of criticism was his music which he christened “Afro-beat “. As a firm believer in socialism he portrayed the leadership of Nigerian in his music
as “ suffer head “ must go which is the master piece he released at a time when living conditions of the poor masses were getting worse . He was able to put across graphically the terrible living conditions of the working classes, describing among others, how “ten people sleep inside one small room” in the slums; how the transportation system was so bad that “my people are packed inside buses like sardines “, how water , food and light ( electricity ) were both lacking or grossly inadequate . He then linked these to the cynical nomenclature of underdeveloped nations.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
This study had the students of university of Abuja as the population of this study. However, using convenience sampling method, a total of one hundred and twenty (120) students from various departments were randomly selected and few questions were posed to them regarding the Icon and Music Minister Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. As a result, the researcher used one hundred and twenty for this study when more than 50% of the total respondents agree to the questions; the answer is taken as valid for the purpose of this study. In analyzing the data, the approach that will be adopted is to find out the percentage and positive and negative answers to the question posed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The research examined the Revolutionary Tune in the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti .The study was divided into four chapters. Chapter one titled the introduction which provided the platform for the research, our Statement of Problem, Purpose of Study, Methodology Scope and Significance were clearly spelt out.
The second chapter reviewed the Revolution tune in the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti this chapter was divided into four sub part .The first sub part made an explanation on the concept of revolutions about the concept of revolutions and its relationship with music , which is been use
as a weapon to fight for change in the society . The second part examined the relationship between music and literature , the third sup part shows how importance music is in literature and also a tool of change making in the society . while forth sub part explores on the brief life and history of fela anikulapo kuti as a political activist or revolutionary .
The third chapter was divided into three sub part that gave the analysis of the music of Fela’s
music and the failure of leadership in Nigeria , Fela and the cultural revolution and fela and other in the society extent that music can be very politicalized as musicians can take up this role of political preachers just like Fela. His music preached two key political ideologies, Pan-Africanism and Afrocentrism that functioned by bringing about the first socially conscious and relentless generation in the country
CONCLUSION
By way of concluding our analysis so far, we were able to explore Musicas part of virtually every culture on Earth, but it varies widely among cultures in style and structure. Music is the medium that connects the written word to social rights issues, conveying a message of hope for the audience. Music is a form of freedom and expression, often used to evoke political issues, serving as an advocator, campaigner and inspirer of social justice. Melodies and lyrics that seek justice amid and beyond cities and nations, into the global realm, have marked significant eras in history and the fight for freedom and tolerance.
Political activism in its own vein is the intentional and conscious effort to bring about social, economic, environmental and overall political changes in a particular geographical setting. It is creating the consciousness about basically. political issues which is also incorporated in social and economical issues among a certain group of people in a particular geographical location. Political activism however is much more than turning out on voting day and ticking a ballot sheet, it incorporates a burning desire to make a difference that we are willing to embody the solution in ourselves and to embody such solution takes courage, commitment and a deep
understanding of the power of our minds. Music deals largely with the mind either from the position of creating it or from the position of receiving it, its messages are delivered straight to the mind that sooner or later becomes a part of your subconscious probably unknowingly to you at is making them aware of political issues as such arousing a participant political culture in them by singing about them. The case study adopted in this work (Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Afro Beat) shows to a large
The general impact of Fela ideology portrayed by his music cannot be over emphasized. The greatest of all however remains the consciousness he created in the mind of the society which what political activism is all about i.e. “the power of the mind”. Just like Olaniyan (2004) rightfully noted, “Fela used the tune in his music ,as an overall contribution towards reaching, his potent detachment of the power of truth from any putative hegemony that the state might profess remains his central political effect and significance”. He still remains a figure celebrated and remembered because out of many, he stood out, he was like no other musician he didn’t only sing about the now, he sang about the future also as some of his lyrics sang about twenty years ago still remain inherent in the Nigerian political system. Examples of such includes the insights to the dubiousness of religious leaders in his song “Shuffering And Smilling” (1978) where he urges people to open their eyes and see that the archbishop is in comfort so is the imam but the masses are suffering and smiling with these situation. This is evident in present Nigeria as religious leaders are said to be acquiring private jets while the congregation of their religious gatherings are unable to even afford the school fees of schools built by the very same religious association of which this very same congregation might have built these schools with their very own hands without any pay for the religious association.
Insights are also revealed in the song “Beast Of No Nation” (1989) where he asked “what is united about united nations?” we should ask this question in recent times with the issue of democratization with regards to the permanency of the five members of the of the security council of the united nation. They preach democracy but the themselves do not give equally opportunities to all members in decision making.
His continued relevance indeed shows that he was a man that refused to be silenced by mere death.
WORK CITED
- Andreas Kalyvas, (2005)”Popular Sovereignty, Democracy, and the Constituent Power”
- Annie J. Randall (2004) “Music, Power, and Politics” Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
- Blaney, J. (2005). John Lennon: Listen To This Book. United Kingdom; Paper Jukebox.
- Carlos Moore (2010) “ Fela, This Bitch Of A Life” Abuja, Cassava republic press.
- Dick Weissman (2010) “Talking about a Revolution: Music and Social Change in America”. San Francisco: Backbeat Books
- Easton, D. A. (1965a). A System Analysis of Political Life. New York: Wiley.
- Easton, D. A. (1965b). A Framework for Political Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hell, NJ.
- Easton, D. A. (1957). An Approach to the Analysis of Political Systems, World Polities. 9 (April).
