Zombie (Edit) out now - Fela Kuti

Story
- 1938Olufela Olusegun Oludoton Ransome-Kuti - Fela - is born on 15 October in Abeokuta, a town fifty miles north of Lagos.
- 1946Fela begins learning the piano, encouraged by his father, who believes studying music is an essential part of a good education.
- 1954On a visit to Lagos, Fela meets Jimo Kombi Braimah, known to everyone as JK, who will become his life-long friend and confidant.
- 1955Fela’s father, Reverend Israel Ransome-Kuti, dies.
- 1958Fela leaves Abeokuta for London. His parents had hoped he would study to become a doctor but Fela is determined to continue with music.
- 1959Fela forms his first group, Fela Ransome-Kuti and His Highlife Rakers. The band record four sides for Melodisc, one of Britain’s first independent African and Caribbean music labels.
- 1960Fela disbands the Highlife Rakers and forms Koola Lobitos, which has a line-up of West African and Caribbean musicians.
- 1961Fela marries Remi. His first daughter, Yeni, is born.
- 1962Fela graduates from Trinity College of Music. His first son, Femi, is born.
- 1963Fela forms the first edition of the Fela Ransome-Kuti Quintet.
- 1964NBC hires Fela as a junior producer. Drummer Tony Allen joins his band.
- 1965Fela is fired from NBC. He forms a second edition of Koola Lobitos.
- 1966Koola Lobitos becomes a popular presence on the Lagos music scene.
- 1967Trumpeter Tunde Williams (later a key member of Afrika 70) joins Koola Lobitos.
- 1968Fela’s first album, a compilation of Koola Lobitos singles, is released.
- 1969Fela and Koola Lobitos record a live album at the Afro-Spot and begin a 10-month tour in the US.
- 1970Fela and Nigeria 70 record ten tracks in Los Angeles, later released in Nigeria as Fela Fela Fela.
- 1971Fela changes his band’s name from Nigeria 70 to Africa 70.
- 1972Fela renames the Afro-Spot the Africa Shrine and brings it back to life.
- 1973Fela and Africa 70 release Gentleman, the first fully formed Afrobeat album.
- 1974Fela is wrongfully jailed for three days giving him material for future albums, Alagbon Close and Expensive Shit.
- 1975Fela changes his last name from Ransome-Kuti to Anikulapo-Kuti (“one who carries death in his pouch”).
- 1976Fela increases his involvement with the direct-action political movement the Young African Pioneers.
- 1977In an unprecedentedly brutal assault, 1,000 soldiers batter their way into Kalakuta and raze it to the ground.
- 1978Fela marries 27 women in a traditional Yoruba wedding ceremony in Lagos.
- 1979Fela and his political party Movement Of The People are banned from contesting Nigeria’s presidential election.
- 1980Fela resumes touring in Nigeria and is joined by US jazz-funk star Roy Ayers.
- 1981Fela renames Afrika 70 as Egypt 80 and tours Europe.
- 1982With no international record deal and an economic recession gripping Nigeria, this is a difficult year for Fela.
- 1983Fela’s son Seun is born. Fela makes his first appearance at Britain’s Glastonbury.
- 1984Fela is arrested and has to cancel an upcoming tour.
- 1985Fela is named a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International.
- 1986Fela is freed from jail. He announces that he will run for president.
- 1987A series of events are held in Lagos to commemorate the 1977 attack on Kalakuta.
- 1988Fela and Egypt 80 spend most of the year performing at the Shrine.
- 1989Fela and Egypt 80 resume international touring, including two shows in New York with James Brown.
- 1992Fela releases Underground System, which will be the final album of newly recorded studio.
- 1993 - 1994Fela’s high-profile campaign for the right to smoke weed continues, as does police harassment of him and the Shrine.
- 1997Fela dies. Over a million people gather to pay their final respects.
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Zombie (Edit) out now

This August marks the 23rd anniversary of Fela’s passing. In remembrance of Fela’s life and legacy this month, we’re shining a spotlight on the ever-relevant “Zombie”, originally released in 1976.

Recently dubbed “essential” by the New York Times and named as a “Song Giving Us (Much Needed) Life” in NPR’s Code Switch podcast, Zombie was Fela's eviscerating attack on the violent abuse of power by the Nigerian army. In the lyrics, Fela ridicules the men in uniform. "Attention! Quick march! Slow march! Salute!" he sings, "Fall in! Fall out! Fall down! Go and kill!" Each phrase is followed by the women singers’ taunt, "Zombie!" Fela continues: “No brains, no job, no sense joro jara jo; tell am to go kill joro jara jo; tell am to go quench joro jara jo.”

Sadly, on February 18, 1977, the army would take their revenge: 1000 soldiers surrounded Kalakuta Republic, battered their way in and burnt it to the ground, beating any occupant they could catch, including Fela and his 77-year-old mother, who was thrown out of a second-floor window, an outrage which caused her death the following year.