Watch An Essential Documentary About Afrobeat Pioneer Fela Kuti

“Music is the Weapon” is a vital insight into the Nigerian’s musical genius and political activism.

Fela Kuti is one of those rare figures whose name pulsates with an energy and significance far beyond the musical domain from which he emerged. Fela was more than just the pioneering force of Afrobeat—he was a phenomenon: a political and social activist in his native Nigeria, a leading voice in the panafrican movement and a champion of the vitality of African cultures in all their diversity and various accomplishments. His vision as a musician was inseparable from the broader cultural, political and spiritual changes he believed music could inspire in its listeners. It’s the reason why he remains one of the African continent’s most iconic figures and greatest musical inspirations to date.

Fela’s life was captured in a concise but brilliant documentary from 1982. Directed by Jean Jacques Flori and Stephen Tchal-Gadjieff, “Music is the Weapon” was filmed in Lagos when the musician was very much at the height of his notoriety. At this point in his career, Fela Kuti had already released his iconic and politically charged album Zombie and had his presidential candidature refused in Nigeria. The hour-long documentary is an essential look into the figure who was more like a force of nature than an entertainer, and whose influence is still being felt in music around the world. You can watch it below.

https://vimeo.com/23428017

Read more: Beyond Fela: a guide to early African electronic music