Meet Fela Kuti (Abàmì Ẹ̀dá)- His Story

Transcript

Meet Fela Kuti

Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abàmì Ẹ̀dá, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the King of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz.

Kuti’s musical style is called^[44] Afrobeat. It is a style he largely created, and is a complex fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, and traditional Nigerian, African chants and rhythms. It contains elements of psychedelic soul and has similarities to James Brown‘s music. Afrobeat also borrows heavily from the native “tinker pan”.^[45] Tony Allen, Kuti’s drummer of twenty years, was instrumental in the creation of Afrobeat. Kuti once stated that “there would be no Afrobeat without Tony Allen”

Kuti’s songs are mostly sung in Nigerian Pidgin English, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. His main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards, but he also played the trumpet, electric guitar, and the occasional drum solo. Kuti refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which hindered his popularity outside Africa

Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy Lyrics

T’o ba fe lo we omi l’o ma’lo
If you want go wash, a water you go use
T’o ba fe se’be omi l’o ma’lo
If you want cook soup, a water you go use
T’o ri ba n’gbona o omi l’ero re
If your head dey hot, a water go cool on
T’omo ba n’dagba omi l’o ma’lo
If your child dey grow, a water he go use

If water kill your child, na water you go use
T’omi ba p’omo e o omi na lo ma’lo
Ko s’ohun to’le se k’o ma lo’mi o
Nothing without water
Ko s’ohun to’le se k’o ma lo’mi o
Omi o l’ota o

(Water, him no get enemy!)
Omi o l’ota o
(Water, him no get enemy!)

Omi o l’ota o (Water, e no get enemy!)
If you fight am, unless you wan die (Water, e no get enemy!)
I say water no get enemy (Water, e no get enemy!)
If you fight am, unless you wan die (Water, e no get enemy!)
Omi o l’ota o (Water, e no get enemy!)
I dey talk of Black man power (Water, e no get enemy!)
I dey talk of Black power, I say (Water, e no get enemy!)
I say water no get enemy (Water, e no get enemy!)
If you fight am, unless you wan die (Water, e no get enemy!)
I say water no get enemy (Water, e no get enemy!)
I say water no get enemy (Water, e no get enemy!)
Omi o l’ota o (Water, e no get enemy!)
Omi o l’ota o (Water, e no get enemy!)

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Voiced and Produced by Lanre Sowobi

Credit

His Story – Created & Produced by:  Deon Sowobi : @Deon_469 (on X)

Podcast Scheduling: David Billeya david@fineradio.co

Social Media Promotion: Boluwatife Adeleke @tifeh_m_adeleke

Adapted for Podcast by: Femi D Amele  femid@fineradio.co / @femidlive 

Distribution: FineRadioCO Distribution

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