FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI The Life, Struggle, and Legacy of the Afrobeat King

A Life of Music, Power, and Defiance

Music made him famous.
Truth made him dangerous.

Fela was not just a musician—he was a revolutionary, a cultural force, and one of the most fearless voices Africa has ever produced. In a nation ruled by soldiers and silence, Fela chose sound. In a continent wrestling with postcolonial betrayal, he chose resistance.

This gripping biography traces the extraordinary life of the man who created Afrobeat and turned music into a weapon against corruption, military dictatorship, and cultural oppression.

From his politically charged upbringing in Abeokuta, to his musical education in London, his radical awakening in the United States, and the birth of Afrobeat in Lagos, this book follows Fela’s transformation from gifted artist to uncompromising dissident. It explores the creation of Kalakuta Republic, the brutal military assault that destroyed it, the death of his mother at the hands of state violence, and his relentless defiance in the face of arrest, imprisonment, and persecution.

More than a biography, this book is a study of power, culture, and courage.

It examines:

• The origins and philosophy of Afrobeat
• Music as political resistance in Africa
• Fela’s confrontation with Nigerian military regimes
• His influence on African identity, protest culture, and global music
• His enduring legacy on modern African artists and movements

Written with clarity, depth, and cultural honesty, this book does not sanitize Fela’s life nor reduce him to myth. It presents him fully—brilliant, flawed, fearless, and unforgettable.

For readers interested in African history, music, politics, and the power of culture to challenge authority, this is an essential read.