Born into a committed family, Fela Kuti went to study music in London in 1958. While touring the United States with his band in 1969, he met Sandra Izsadore, who introduced him to a history of Africa he was unaware of, as well as the struggle of the Black Panther Party. Returning to Nigeria, he became a Pan-Africanist, adding the name Anikulapo ("he who carries death in his pocket") and creating Afrobeat, a musical style combining jazz, soul, ju-ju rhythms, and highlife. In 1974, Fela Kuti founded the Republic of Kalakuta, an alternative and autonomous space (school, hospital, etc.). Convinced that "music is a weapon," he denounced in his songs in pidgin, the language of the people, corruption, dictatorship, and the power of multinationals, which earned him persecution. Fela Kuti's influence on the international music scene has continued to grow since his death in August 1997.
