Softerfields Listening Session - Fela Kuti And The Rise Of Afrobeat

Fela Kuti made music that pushed back against power.

In Zombie, he called out the Nigerian military for blindly following orders. He described them as “zombies” who move without thinking. The song caught on quickly, but it also made the government furious.

Not long after, soldiers raided his home, Kalakuta Republic. It was burned down. People were beaten. His mother was thrown from a window and later died from her injuries. Fela almost lost everything, but he didn’t stop making music.

What he built didn’t stay in Nigeria. The way he used rhythm, long loops, and repetition started to influence other bands around the world. Not just in how they sounded, but in how they used music to say something without spelling it out.

Please dm us @softerfields on Instagram if you have any questions.

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