OCTOBER 12 “THIS WEEK IN THE MUSIC OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE”

Legendary Nigerian musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti was born this week in 1938 (October 15). Kuti pioneered the Afrobeat style of music.

Kuti used music as a form of social commentary and protest. Many of his songs protested dictatorships and the militaristic Nigerian governments of the 1970s and 80s.

A socialist, Kuti believed in a pan-African republic to resist European imperialism and cultural influences. He was a strong supporter of traditional African culture.

To listen to Kuti, check out this concert.