Unveiling the Legacy of Fela Kuti at the Kalakuta Museum – A Cultural Tour with Universanet Travel
Take a trip to the Kalakuta Museum in Lagos, Nigeria, and discover the life, music and activism of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, and take a cultural tour into the musical heritage of Nigeria with Universanet Travel.
Journeying to the Kalakuta Museum with Universanet Travel: Unveiling Fela Kuti's Legacy.
The Kalakuta Museum, located in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria is a tribute to the life and influence of the legend of Afrobeat Fela Kuti and Universanet Travel will take you there on a journey through Fela’s music, life, and activism, to discover his continuing revolutionary spirit.
Fela Kuti’s History
Fela Anikulapo Kuti was born on October 15, 1938, as Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti. He was a Nigerian musician, Human Rights activist, and bandleader. He was known as the pioneer of the Afrobeat genre and combined parts of the indigenous Yoruba music with jazz, funk, and soul. He created a music genre to convey social activism against corruption, oppression, and social injustice.
Fela Kuti’s life was dedicated to art and his people. He formed a band called Koola Lobitos in the 1960s, which became the Egypt 80 band. Fela captured sensitive topics on his recordings, such as police brutality, governmental corruption, and the plight of the average everyday Nigerian.
The Kalakuta Republic
The Life and Legacy of Fela Kuti
Fela founded the Kalakuta Republic as a commune in Lagos dedicated to Fela’s music, activism, and art in 1970. The compound became a site of resistance as Fela had publicly denounced the Nigerian government in his music.
In 1977 the Nigerian military raided the Kalakuta Republic and ruthlessly attacked Fela and his family. The compound was burned to the ground and Fela’s mother was thrown out the window to her death. The trauma shaped Fela, but did not shift his commitment to justice through music.
The Kalakuta Museum
The Kalakuta Museum is now the storage of Fela’s legacy. The museum is located in Fela’s former home and has housed personal effects, musical instruments, and memorabilia. Guests can step inside the preserved bedroom where Fela’s saxophone and other iconography are displayed.
The museum operates guided tours and offers lexical information on Fela’s life, music, and activism and a rooftop café that provides a panoramic view of the area, which is the perfect location to contemplate Fela’s influence on music and culture.
Fela's Legacy
Fela Kuti’s legacy is much bigger than his music. He was a human rights advocate who used his podium to tilt at power and the establishment, and continues to influence a generation of music creators, activists, and artists globally!
Fela’s influence can be identified in a range of genres such as hip-hop and Afrobeat; his legacy of resistance and social justice is also timely in a climate of police brutality and anti-Blackness; and the Kalakuta Museum is important because it is a monument to Fela’s life work and commitment to his craft and people.
Visiting the Kalakuta Museum with Universanet Travel.
While visiting the Kalakuta Museum with Universanet Travel you will engage with the rich and vibrant culture of Nigeria’s musical icon. Our guided tour will take you the depths of the life, music, and activism of Fela Kuti, and give you a better understanding of his legacy.
With Universanet Travel, you will:
– Visit to the Kalakuta Museum and its exhibitions
– Learn about Fela’s life, music, and activism
– Learn more about the importance of the Kalakuta Republic and its legacy on Fela’s music and activism through the Kalakuta Museum.