Kuti, Fela Anikulapo (1938–1997)

Nigerian singer, songwriter, and musician. He was a strong proponent of African nationalism and ethnic identity. His albums of big-band African funk, a sound he called ‘Afro-beat’, include Coffin for Head of State (1978), Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense (1987), and Underground System (1993).

Kuti had his first local hit in 1971 and soon became a West African star. His political protest songs (in English) caused the Nigerian army to attack his commune in 1974 and again in 1977, and he was a political prisoner 1983–86. Unsparing in his attacks on neocolonialism and corruption, he held up Idi Amin as a role model.