Fẹlá Aníkúlápó-Kuti in full, his sons Fẹmi and Ṣeun, Lágbájá and Aṣa, and the global Afrobeats generation from Wizkid and Davido to Tems and Ayra Starr, with ethnicity verified for each.
Machine na im translate dis page and no person don check am. The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, the meanings and the citations dey exactly as the original. Everything else fit wrong.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Two different things get names wey resemble each other, and person suppose separate them. Afrobeat, wey dey singular, na the genre wey Fẹlá Aníkúlápó-Kuti create for Lagos around 1970, wey stand on top highlife, jazz and American funk over Yoruba rhythm structure, wey large band dey play with long-form tracks and lyrics wey dey talk politics direct. Afrobeats, wey dey plural, na the Nigerian and Ghanaian pop music of the last fifteen years, wey dem produce for studio, get verse-and-chorus, dey run for three minutes, get plenty commercial market well well, but e quiet for politics matter. The second one borrow the name and almost nothing else join am. To mix the two together, wetin international music press dey do all the time, dey give wrong picture about the two of them.
This file talk plenty about Fẹlá, the musicians wey follow his footstep, and the current generation, and e mention the ethnic group of each artist because Afrobeats na Nigerian phenomenon, no be Yoruba one, and Yoruba corpus suppose dey accurate about which of the stars na Yoruba.
Fẹlá na the African musician wey make the biggest mark for international level for twentieth century, and na only him be the one wey his work serve as solid political opposition to government for long time.
Dem born am as Olúfẹlá Olúṣẹ́gun Olúdọ̀tun Ransome-Kuti on 15 October 1938 for Abẹ́òkúta . His father, Reverend Israel Olúdọ̀tun Ransome-Kuti, na Anglican minister, school principal and the first president of Nigerian Union of Teachers. His mother na Fúnmiláyọ̀ Ransome-Kuti, the political organiser of the Abẹ́òkúta women revolt. His brothers Olikoye and Beko na medical doctors and public figures, and Wọlé Ṣóyínká na his cousin. That na family wey achieve plenty things well well and wey dey challenge authority, and the two matter.
E drop the name Ransome for the 1970s because e say na slave name, change am to Aníkúlápó, wey e explain as "person wey carry death for his pouch", and e keep Kuti .
Dem send am go London for 1958, as dem think say na to study medicine, but instead e go register for Trinity College of Music to study trumpet . For there e form Koola Lobitos, dey play mix of jazz and highlife .
The main thing wey change everything na the ten months wey e spend for Los Angeles for 1969. Through Sandra Smith, wey later turn Sandra Izsadore, an activist for Black Panther Party, e discover the Black Power movement, read Malcolm X and literature on Pan-Africanism, and e come back with political agenda wey e no get before . E change the band name to Nigeria 70 and later Africa 70.
Wetin e build from there na Afrobeat: big band with horn section, two or more guitars, plenty percussionists, heavy bass and drum pattern wey come from Yoruba and Ghanaian highlife rhythm, long tracks wey many times pass fifteen minutes with long instrumental arrangement before voice enter, call-and-response chorus, and lyrics for Nigerian Pidgin so that the whole country go fit hear them . As e choose Pidgin instead of Yoruba or English na deliberate plan, and na why his political message travel pass western Nigeria.
E set up Kalakuta Republic for 1970, compound for Lagos wey his band, his family and his followers dey stay, wey e declare say dey independent from Nigerian state, with his own clinic and recording studio . The Shrine, his club, na the center of activities.
Zombie (1976) na the record wey make the fight complete. E compare Nigerian soldiers to zombies wey dey move only when dem command them, and the record blow well well, wey mean say people dey sing the insult back to soldiers for street. On 18 February 1977, around one thousand soldiers attack Kalakuta, burn am down, beat and injure Fẹlá well well, attack the women for the compound, and throw his seventy-six-year-old mother down from upstairs window . She die from the wound for April 1978.
The official panel put the blame for "unknown soldier" hand. The response wey Fẹlá's give na two records, Coffin for Head of State and Unknown Soldier, and e carry his mother coffin go drop for the gates of Dodan Barracks, the seat of military government.
E form Movement of the People as political party for 1979 and try contest for president; dem refuse to register his candidacy . On 20 February 1978, the anniversary of Kalakuta attack, e marry twenty-seven women for one ceremony, action wey e describe as statement about African tradition and legal protection for the women for his household against charge of prostitution or say dem kidnap them . E later cancel the arrangement.
Dem arrest am pass two hundred times . For 1984, Buhari military government put am for prison for twenty months on top currency export charge wey Amnesty International say na politics cause am and declare am as prisoner of conscience . Dem release am for 1986 after the judge wey convict am admit for secret say dem arrange the case.
E change his band name to Egypt 80 for mid-1980s, name wey carry his argument say ancient Egypt na Black African civilisation and say dem steal African history.
E die for Lagos on 2 August 1997 from complications of AIDS, wey his brother Olikoye, wey be former Minister of Health that time, announce as deliberate public health move for time wey people dey deny the sickness for Nigeria . His widow challenge the medical report . About one million people attend the funeral procession for Lagos.
Fẹlá's relationship with Yoruba tradition dey serious and e dey selective. The rhythm base of Afrobeat na Yoruba, the call-and-response na the structure of Yoruba communal singing, and the horn lines dey answer the voice the way talking drum dey do. E practise òrìṣà religion openly, keep shrine, consult Ifá, and use that identity take argue say imported religion don push African tradition comot. How e take hate Christianity and Islam, wey e describe as instruments of colonisation, na theme wey dey show steady, especially for Shuffering and Shmiling.
Because of this, na im be the most prominent twentieth-century Yoruba person wey publicly go back to traditional religion, and e do am as political act instead of private matter.
The criticisms against am dey record too and make person mention dem: how e take treat women, both inside im polygamous house and for im lyrics, don receive serious feminist criticism, including from inside Nigeria; how e take deny openly say AIDS real when e dey sick help spread dangerous belief; and im political judgement, compared to im political courage, dey often poor.
Dem born Fẹmi Aníkúlápó-Kuti on 16 June 1962 for London and e grow up for Lagos, the eldest son . E start to perform for im papa Egypt 80 when e dey teen and e form im own band, Positive Force, for late 1980s with Dele Sosimi . E dey run the New Afrika Shrine for Lagos, wey e build after im papa die to replace the original one. E don get six Grammy nominations without winning, four for Best World Music Album category for 2002, 2009, 2011 and 2013 and two more for 2022 . For 2017 e set Guinness World Record for holding one saxophone note for 51 minutes and 35 seconds with circular breathing . Im music tight and get song shape pass im papa own, and im politics direct well well too.
Dem born Ṣeun Aníkúlápó-Kuti on 11 January 1983, the youngest son, and e take over the leadership of Egypt 80 after im papa die for 1997, when e dey fourteen . E don retain most of im papa original musicians for the band, wey make Egypt 80 under Ṣeun the only continuous Afrobeat ensemble. Dem nominate Black Times (2018) for Grammy inside World Music category . E bring back im papa Movement of the People as political organisation for 2020, join the Occupy Nigeria protests for 2012, and Time name am among their hundred most influential people for 2019 . E dey describe imself as atheist, wey make am different from im papa òrìṣà practice .
Lágbájá na the stage name of Bísádé Ọlógundé, wey dem born for Lagos for 1960, a saxophonist, percussionist and singer wey dey wear mask perform . The name na Yoruba: lágbájá mean "somebody", "anybody", the word wey dem dey use when person name no dey known or dem deliberately hide am, and the mask dey show say e stand for the faceless ordinary Nigerian . Im music combine Afrobeat with Yoruba drum ensemble wey heavy and show pass the one wey Fẹlá use, and im lyrics dey switch between Yoruba and Pidgin. Na im be the most sophisticated user of Yoruba drum language for modern popular music.
Aṣa na Bùkọ́lá Elemide, wey dem born on 17 September 1982 for Paris to Nigerian parents wey dey study cinematography, and e grow up for Lagos from when e dey two years old . Im parents come from Ògùn State . E be French-Nigerian, dey sing for English and Yoruba, and dey work inside folk and soul style instead of Afrobeats. Im self-titled debut album for 2007 win the French Prix Constantin. Na im be the Yoruba artist wey Yoruba speakers respect im Yoruba-language songwriting pass among the generation wey get international success.
Afrobeats start for Lagos for late 2000s and turn to global commercial force for late 2010s. The Yoruba part inside big well well but no be only Yoruba, and the table show where each artist come from.
| Artist | Born | Origin | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wizkid (Ayọ̀dèjì Ibrahim Balógun) | 16 July 1990, Lagos | Yoruba | The artist wey take Afrobeats go global. The feature wey e do for Drake One Dance for 2016 carry am go global number one, and Essence with Tems reach top ten for American Billboard Hot 100 for 2021, the first Nigerian record wey do that kind thing and the first song with Yoruba lyrics to enter Billboard Global 200. E win Grammy for 2021 for Best Music Video as collaborator for Beyoncé Brown Skin Girl |
| Davido (David Adédèjì Adélékè) | 21 November 1992 | Yoruba, from Ẹdẹ inside Ọ̀ṣun State | The other side of the Afrobeats duopoly. E get multiple Grammy nominations; im family get strong political influence for Ọ̀ṣun State |
| Tiwa Savage (Tiwatọ́pẹ́ Ọmọ́lará Savage) | 5 February 1980, Ìsàlẹ̀ Èkó, Lagos | Yoruba | The senior woman for the genre and the artist wey make Nigerian woman solo pop career dey commercially viable for that kind level. E dey sing for English, Pidgin and Yoruba |
| Tems (Temiladé Ọpẹ́ńiyì) | 11 June 1995, Lagos | Yoruba | Win Grammy for 2023 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for Future Wait for U with Drake, and win again for 2025 for Best African Music Performance for Love Me JeJe, wey be rework of Seyi Sodimu 1997 song. Na im be the voice wey get pass respect among critics for this generation |
| Ayra Starr (Ọyìnkánsọlá Sarah Adéríbigbé) | 14 June 2002 | Yoruba | Grow up partly for Cotonou; the leading younger woman for the genre |
| Olamide (Olamidé Gbenga Adédèjì) | 15 March 1989, Bariga, Lagos | Yoruba | The most important Yoruba-language rapper. E rap for Yoruba when the market dey reward English, and im label YBNL Nation launch big part of the current generation. Im importance for this work na specifically linguistic: e make Yoruba become viable language for Nigerian commercial pop |
| Fireboy DML (Adédamọ́lá Ọyìnlọlá Adéfọ́láhàn) | 5 February 1996, Abẹ́òkúta | Yoruba | Sign to YBNL for 2018 |
Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, wey dem born on 2 July 1991 for Port Harcourt) get mixed background: im papa na Ijaw and im mama, Bose Ogulu, wey dey manage am, na Yoruba . Im middle name Ebunoluwa na Yoruba. Dat mean say im no just be Ijaw, as dem dey talk sometimes, and im no be Yoruba, as dem dey talk sometimes too; im be half Yoruba through im mama and people publicly know am with Port Harcourt and di Niger Delta. Im grandfather Benson Idonije na Fẹlá's first manager. Dem include am here as person wey partly be Yoruba with im parentage stated, and no be say dem claim am for di corpus.
Rema (Divine Ikubor, wey dem born on 1 May 2000 for Benin City) na Edo person, from Igbanke for Ọ̀rhìọnmwọ̀n local government area of Edo State, and im no be Yoruba . Calm Down with Selena Gomez na di African song wey people don stream pass for history. Dem note am here only to prevent misattribution.
Christy Essien-Igbokwe (1960 to 2011), wey dem dey sometimes list join Nigerian women singers of Yoruba background, na Ibibio, from Akwa Ibom State, and dis work no cover am.
Di Afrobeats generation different from everything wey come before am for three ways. Na studio work instead of band work, wey remove di large ensembles wey jùjú, àpàlà, fújì and Afrobeat all require. Dem dey distribute am globally through streaming instead of locally through vinyl, cassette and live performance, wey change both di economics and di target audience. And im no dey political, wey be di sharpest break with Fẹlá.
Wetin no change na di underlying rhythmic architecture and how Yoruba language take continue to persist. Large part of di vocabulary, di ad-libs, di melodic phrasing and for Olamide case di whole lyrics of contemporary Nigerian pop na Yoruba, and more people dey hear am pass any Yoruba-language material for history. Dat na genuinely new fact about di language, and e happen without anybody planning am.
Túndé King and the invention of jùjú, Ayìndé Bákàrè, I. K. Dàiró, Harúnà Iṣọ̀lá and àpàlà, Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Adé, and the fújì line from Ṣikirú Ayìndé Barrister to K1.
Fúnmiláyọ̀ Ransome-Kuti and the Abẹ́òkúta tax revolt, HID Awólọ́wọ̀, Wúràọlá Ẹsan, Fọláké Ṣólánkẹ́, Bọ́lá Kuforiji-Olubi, the Ìyálóde and Ìyálọ́jà offices in the modern state, and the Yoruba women who were first in law, medicine and the university.
Mọ́ṣọ́ọ̀d Abíọ́lá and the annulled election of 12 June 1993, Ernest Ṣónẹ́kan, Bọ́lá Ìgè, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́, Bọ́lá Tinúbú and the Afẹ́nifẹ́re tradition.
Scholarly assessment of Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti, covering the development of Afrobeat, anti-authoritarian politics, the 1977 Kalakuta raid, gender controversies, and documented historical records versus oral narratives.
How Yoruba traditional music fed sakara, apala, waka, juju, fuji, highlife, Afrobeat and contemporary Afrobeats, traced through named musicians and specific musical mechanisms rather than gestures at influence.
A method note explaining what kind of evidence exists for Yoruba figures from the earliest traditions to 1900, why the oldest names cannot be treated as documented biography, and how this section marks the difference.