Fela: This Bitch of a Life

Carlos Moore

May 2009 · Chicago Review Press

About this ebook

Revealing the hidden facts of this African superstar's complex personality and the truth about his tumultuous existence, this unique biography is based on hours of conversation and close interaction with the legend himself. The full spectrum of Fela's experience is here: the spirits and trances, the paranoia and drugs, the queens (as he called his wives), and always the music. Interviews with 15 queens, providing their personal stories in their own words, contribute to this amazing story of Fela's life and music. As the creator of Afrobeat--the vibrant fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, and Yoruban music--he protested with lyrics that dealt provocatively with everything from sex to politics, always challenging neocolonialism and the ruling elite. Painting him as an advocate of black power, human rights, and pan-Africanism, this book reveals how Fela shocked, disturbed, and inspired the masses.

About the author

Carlos Moore is a political scientist and an ethnologist. He is an honorary research fellow at the School for Graduate Studies and Research of the University of the West Indies -- Kingston. Maya Angelou is a renowned poet and civil rights activist.