Problem:
Using "The main argument across this week's reading and films is that Afrobeat and Black cultural performance are not merely a form of entertainment but are deeply political. Olaniyan (2001) argues that Fela's music is shaped by "antinomy," meaning his work holds tension between African authenticity and global influence. Stewart shows that Afrobeat was created by blending Yoruba rhythms, highlife, jazz, and funk, not by copying others but by transforming outside sounds. Ryan (1996) presents When We Were Kings as a tribute to Muhammad Ali's political and cultural significance, while Carrington (1998) critiques the film for softening Ali's radical political views. Together, the authors highlight the underlying message that music and performance shape Black political identity.
The authors support their claims with several types of evidence. Stewart primarily analyzes drum patterns and musical structure to highlight how Tony Allen shaped Afrobeat's rhythm. Olaniyan uses Fela's lyrics, public speeches, and performance style to explain how music challenged colonial mentality and corruption. Fela Kuti's: Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense, uses Fela's own words and performances to act as evidence of how music became political education. In When We Were Kings, the fight in Zaire and the Zaire '74 concert serve as visual evidence of global Black pride. However, Carrington argues that the film's use of narration and commentary shapes how viewers understand it and influences their interpretation of its political meaning.
What is especially useful about these readings is that they show culture as active, not passive. Afrobeat did not simply reflect society; it instead responded to it and challenged it. The films also highlight how media representation affects how political figures are perceived and remembered.
Throughout the readings and films, race is not treated as universal. In the U.S, race was shaped by slavery and segregation. On the other hand, in postcolonial Africa, race is much more intricate as it is perceived differently due to colonial borders, nationalism, and ethnic/social divisions. The meaning of race shifts depending on the historical and geographic context rather than on a strict biological basis.
In Fela's Afrobeat, Africanism shaped the rhythm, structure, performance style, and political message of the music. The music itself was built around African communal traditions and anti-colonial critique. In contrast, contemporary Afrobeats maintains African rhythmic identity and language but adapts to global trends and formats. Africanism remains present, but is less overtly revolutionary and more integrated into global music markets.
Connective oppresion referres to the linked histories of slavery, colonialism, and global capitalism that shape Black experiences relationally across Africa, America, and globally. The systems are not identical due to circumstances, but they are historically connected due to common hardships. Need Assignment Help?
References:
Carrington, B. (1998). Audio-visual review: When we were kings. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 33(1), 75-81.
Fela Kuti: Teacher don't teach me nonsense. (1984). [Film].
Gast, L. (Director). (1996). When we were kings[Film]. Gramercy Pictures.
Olaniyan, T. (2001). The cosmopolitan nativist: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and the antinomies of postcolonial modernity. Research in African Literatures, 32(2), 76-89.
Ryan, S. (1996). When we were kings. Cineaste, 22(4), 54-55.
Stewart, A. (2013). Make it funky: Fela Kuti, James Brown and the invention of Afrobeat. American Studies, 42(4), 99-118."
Now, create a 150 words minimum meaningful but short response back. 150 words minimum.