Fela Kuti

1938 – 1997

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a Nigerian composer, bandleader, activist, and pioneer of Afrobeat. This genre transformed the musical and political landscape of West Africa and beyond, and Fela’s influence can be heard in a wide range of places today.

He came to London in 1958 to study Composition and Trumpet Performance at Trinity Laban (then Trinity College of Music), originally intending to train as a classical musician. During his time at Trinity Laban, he deepened his skills in trumpet, composition, and theory, while immersing himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. It was during this period that he crossed paths with future collaborator, Ginger Baker, whilst performing at the Flamingo Club in Soho. These experiences helped to shape his early musical identity.

After returning to Nigeria, Fela began experimenting with a fusion of jazz, highlife, Yoruba rhythms, funk, and extended improvisation. This evolution culminated in Afrobeat, a powerful and rhythmically complex form that became synonymous with Fela’s band Africa 70, and later Egypt 80. His performances, often lasting hours and combining music, dance, satire, and political critique, made him one of the most compelling and provocative artists of his era.

Beyond his music, Fela was a fearless cultural and political figure, outspoken against military rule and social injustice in Nigeria. His home and performance space, the Kalakuta Republic, became a symbol of artistic resistance and cultural autonomy. By the time of his death in 1997, he had become an international icon whose influence continues to resonate through contemporary Afrobeat, global pop, and the work of later generations, including his sons Femi and Seun Kuti, and grandson Mádé Kuti (also a Trinity Laban alum).

Fela remains one of Trinity Laban’s most globally significant former students, and his legacy as a revolutionary artist and activist endures worldwide. 

In 2020, Fela was honoured as part of the Black Plaque Project and Trinity Laban’s Black Culture 365 programme.

In 2026, Fela became the first African artist to win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

You can find out more about Fela Kuti’s legacy in the podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, which features interviews with members of the Trinity Laban community.