Afrobeat · 1970s Career
Fela Kuti created Afrobeat by combining West African highlife, jazz, funk and extended political performance into a powerful new form centered on groove and resistance.
Long-form rhythm
Afrobeat tracks often developed over long durations through interlocking guitars, horns, percussion and bass, creating momentum through repetition rather than conventional verse-chorus pop structure.
Politics and confrontation
Fela’s lyrics openly criticized corruption, military power and colonial influence in Nigeria, making political confrontation inseparable from the music itself.
Why he matters
Fela Kuti created one of the most influential global groove traditions of the 1970s, shaping funk, jazz, hip-hop and later world-music scenes.
