Hello everyone, and thank you all for watching Fela's Zombie on the "Official Fela RU-vid Channel". We seen the amount of love this song gets around the world, so from us "Thank you very much :D".We would love you to continue the Fela Express on this channel by subscribing here ► goo.gl/8Q1pVw Take care and everyone say "Yeah Yeah" (y)
So true... see, I'm oyibo, and lived best part of 1998-2003 in Rivers and Delta... Abacha was just dead when I arrived in the country, the sensation was like the country was finally ready to take off. I met true wonderful people and real friends there, and now, 20 years later, wondering where they can now be and how are they now doing, it's a gut wrenching feeling to see how things went down for this beautiful people/country.
I didn't even know Fela Kuti existed, four weeks ago. But since, I could never ignore it anymore ! Free, brilliant, and so arrogant ! As a french star !
This music was the making of Fela; not least for the brutal reaction of the Nigerian Army to his critique of their behaviour. I remember listening to the music as a 12 year old and saying to myself 'Oh, Fela will get into trouble for this.' And he sure did, But nobody imagined a 1000 soldiers matching on Kalakuta, manhandling his mother leading to her death, and destroying all copies of his original work to date ... Army Arrangement, Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense, Original Sufferhead and Beast of No Nation in the 80s are testimonies to Fela's irrepressive sense of fairness and justice for all of his countrymen. No hyperbole, Yoruba myself, Fela is my favourite Yoruba man and African. The Lord bless you for daring to speak truth to power. Rest in Peace - Anikulapo
Really smart to have thought Fela would get into trouble when you were only 12 years old... almost sounds like a lie but i know you won't lie Apostle right?
Did you know that rank-and-file Nigerian soldiers used to joyfully carry out parade drills to this song when their senior officers were not watching? Fela the musical genius skilfully crafted it in 2/4-4/4 time, which is the military marching tempo across all armies of the planet.! And the soldiers would make moves to “obey” every order in the lyrics: “attention, fall back, fall out, quick march, turn round, left turn, right turn, about turn, double up, open your hat, stand at ease, salute, HALT‼️”… etc. 😂 Fela’s irresistible rhythms made him the darling of even his most inveterate adversaries‼️
Nigeria needs this same attitude now so they can get their country back. I’m a white dude from Mississippi and digging this music and the scream for freedom
Am an American last time I visited Nigeria in 2001 visiting Fela shrine was the main reason, I got negative comments about traveling to Nigeria but i had fun and not all bad comments are true about Nigerians. Nigeria problems are the bad governments that was the weapon Fela used at them and his music lives on.
yep... I am Canadian and I have learned that the area we now call Nigeria has been the cradle of some incredible cultures and civilizations for a long, long time. I hope the absolute best for the future of Nigeria and its surrounding countries, because they have A LOT to show and teach to the rest of us.
If you know the circumstances surrounding the song, you'll be even more shocked that he had the bravery to put out the song. Allowing women to mock soldiers (something African men find humiliating) under military rule and referring to them as zombies for following orders blindly. It was glaring he was talking about the military when he started saying; "quick march,slow march,about turn, salute....". An the military junta reacted angrily.
Fela was a man, and just ONE. The point: one person can do a lot, and if we all come together, as free people, unite and work together, nothing can stop that unified and magnified power...the intent: push back in the face of oppression, etc. (his context); the negative inverse: tyranny of a mass...; the struggle: find the open, inclusive, middle ground where we're all cool, have enough, and are free to live, love, express, and "be".
It pains me to realize how much more people should be opening their ears and minds to the Afrobeat King. As long as i breathe, Brazil will continue to listen to him loud. Long live Fela's ideals of a peaceful and musical land. Long live Kalakuta.
sajidh amin as an Afrikan American, he changed my way of looking at poetry, life, and music in general. He is the voice that raises me from my straw hut in the early throes of morning dusk...just saying
Fela knows full well that he's endangering his own life by writing these lyrics, but he just goes out of his way to stick his middle finger in front of the Nigerian soldiers and government anyway. If Fela isn't a badass I don't know what he is.
Tommy Hass Considering the Nigerian government burned down his recording studio (and tapes), killed half his staff members and his grandmother and then drove him out from the country, why shouldn't he?
Man do some research military coup en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_coups_in_Nigeria#The_July_1966_coup regime under: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakubu_Gowon nigeria civil war: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War who's using violence?
@Jyestha King I fail to see the correlation between introducing people to great music and my proficiency as an individual. Could it be that you're talking nonsense? I think it is. Shoo, back to your hidey hole, and let the grown ups talk, child.
Given that Fela Kuti was deeply inspired by James Brown's success as a black man in America, yet few speak about the hate and prejudice that he harboured against homosexuality and certain white folks. Pathetic euro-centric institutions appointed Fela Kuti as an "ambassador of human rights". Kuti, a classic megalomaniac towards the end of his life, the erstwhile 'afro-cult' struck down by AIDS, he started calling his music “African classical music” - and is quoted in a new film saying "you wouldn’t expect composers like Mozart or Beethoven to write three-minute numbers, so why should I?" What's worse certain popular liberal musicians (Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel etc) remained 'mute' about Fela having multiple wives and spurting hatred for LGBTQ folks.
As a young girl growing up in moshalashi, Lagos. I grew up listening to his songs daily, instrumentals surpassing basic mindset opening doors to the problems of Nigeria. I am currently 16 moved out of Nigeria and reminisce how we took for granted such tunes and will play this for my generations to come and remind them of BABA 70 and his legacy.
About 40yrs later Zombies did their worst on innocent youths protesting for their future at Lekki toll gate 20/10/2020. The generations of those behind the senseless massacre will not know peace Amen.
My Ghanaian dad loved different types of music he would sit me down with my siblings every Saturday listening to fela kuti rest in power a talented no nonsense african king❤
@IntrepidFinch Yes, the Americas are continents. The United States of 'America' was the first independent nation in the New World (the Americas). That's why the nickname "Americans" stuck for the people of the United States of America. Ask Europeans... They call us Americans. I know South Americans are all butthurt about it, but we were also the first and only country in the Americas with "America" in our name.
I'm not Nigerian but I was married to an Ibo and he introduced me to High Life and Fela has always been my most favorite of all the greats. Until this day after the separation of my marriage, I still listen to his great musical talent. To me he is the King of High life 👑 RIP Fela Anikupta Kuti 👑💖
This man literally called Margret thatcher, Ronald Reagan and other leaders in united nation animals in human skin on beast of no nation Lol 😂 this man had balls the size of the twin towers
Just realized this was the Fela piece Beyoncé used for her transition to Deja Vu at Coachella. I couldn’t remember which song but knew it was him for sure ✨✨✨✨
First time I heard this song was in 1977...The radio station I worked at got this album and put it in the trash...Was the best day of my life...I had found the king of Africa...FELA🔥🔥🔥
I'd love to see the current protesters start yelling "Zombie" at the police while they're marching. The sentiment might be decades old, but it's still as relevant today as when Fela Kuti first sung the lyrics.
12 minutes of pure musical genius and a fat middle finger to the military dictatorship in Nigeria rolled into one truly magnificent masterpiece of a composition
This music is so invigorating , colorful, hypnotnic , masterfully played and organized , there are also moments in a lot of these songs that are pure comedy ! ( for ex. In this song when fela mockingly shouts “ DIIISMISSED !! in a high pitch voice ) ... I just discovered this , water no get enemy, lady, No sleep yanga wake AM, and Couple other songs by Mr. Kuti a week or so ago and I am absolutely obsessed . Why did it take me so long to learn of this Brilliant Revolutionary Man ?!?
I'm in my 30s and remember my parents always listening to this song. Still gives me chills till this day. Brought back memories hearing it on Black lightning.
God you're blessed to have cool parents with soul. MY parents rarely listened to music (and most of that was easy listening type stuff), but at least I had an older brother turned me on to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper. But most of the music I loved as a boy growing up in the '60s in white bread surburbia came from the TV... West Side Story, Elvis Comeback special, Jonny Quest theme, ad jingles. But I digress. Fela and Africa 70 are really kicking some serious butt on this record; the previous listen, "Open and Close" (1971), however, was a bit too tame for my tastes. The fact that THIS record stimulated the State Goon Squad ("unknown soldiers," ha ha) to chuck Fela's mom out a second story window among many other heinous crimes of violence makes me consider: was it worth it? Nigeria hasn't seemed to have changed very much from what I've read in various comment threads, so I don't know.
In 1971, I was privileged to watch him play Mr WHO ARE YOU live in Accra, and many could hear the vibrations some kilometers away.........it was AMAZING !!
Lol, many of them actually sneaked into his shrine under the cover of night to listen to his music. On his infamous 'Yabis' Night, he ribs them mercilessly and they laugh right along with the hoi polloi😂😂😂
Just watched “Get on Up”, the biopic of James Brown. Made me think of Fela talking about visiting the US, and hearing James Brown for the first time. His idea of creating a fusion of African rhythms and Funk was brilliant!
from a corner of my colombian caribbean caribbean coast we listened to these songs in the pickups of our cities with feeling and joy to our african ancestors years that will not return beautiful 70s of our childhood
This song was written as a protest on what was happening in Nigeria back then. Of course, you can imagine that Fela's actions, alongside with the song itself, didn't make the government quite happy. All this ended up in the government attacking his family. His mother was thrown from her balcony which costed her life. All that tragedy didn't stop Fela from performing this song.
Fela was a man of unbelievable courage. Despite the incredible violence of the Nigerian Army against him and his followers, he continued to goad the authorities with his brilliant music. Even when he was offered vast sums of money by other record companies, he turned them down. He was a true visionary who never sold out to anybody.
I remember when this tune first came out wow ! Oh so risky ! I was in secondary school the government of the day introduced two soldiers to every secondary school for discipline , their first day they were welcomed by this song 🤣🤣🤣
Fela was like a teacher of wisdom teaching the youth about the future politics and characteristic of governmental attitude towards people of Nigeria, look and learning careful into melody of the music of fela kuti, also check mate our current society of today. What is really the difference in our leadership legacy of this century and now fela kuti has gone beyond our hearen, who will free this great country of corruption now, obasanjo has failed, buhari has failed who is Next
Thanks to the Afrobeat historian (Chris May), the write up accompanying this song here sure sheds light on what happened. RIP Anikulapo. Baba '70. Me too say "yeah yeah!"
Fela Kuti was a revolutionary and used his talent and art to actually make an impact. So fucking important. He was a King! "Music is a spiritual thing. Don't mess play with music" -Fela Kuti.
Admin, should have written a short story explaining the reasons for the song, and the government reaction after Fela released this song. It's good younger generation understood what Fela did to make Nigeria and Africa great. Thanks.
While Fela Kuti remain a musical genius and African statesman, even Obasanjo that commanded his inprisment, beating and detention will never be as popular as Fela Fela's time is yet to come. Write it down.
Fela music to an older generation must have felt western although he was reclaiming a lot of identity that colonialism had displaced. He was still a man of his epoch with a unique view.
This song is so cool! I was led by a mention of Fela from a member of the old band The Talking Heads during an interview on the channel Professor of Rock, and I'm very happy for this! What wonderful music!