Fela Kuti was a man of many words. His lyrics testify to this. He had a constant stream of vocabulary that can only be classified as 'Felaspeak'. Fela's yabis (banter aimed at any topic imaginable) could either invoke joy or sadness to whomever it was directed at. If he called you suegbe, then you are a mere fool.  Pako, you possess the necessary intelligence required.  If he informs you, he has just finished bend bend sleep, then (yes, you guessed it) he is referring to having had sex.  Below are a few famous quotes of the Abami Eda (the mysterious one) himself. 

Fela's famous quotes.

"My name is Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Black president or Chief Priest of Shrine."

Fela's  introduction of himself. 

"Africa is the center of the universe, our ancestors have taken over the running of the country."

Talking to bemused journalists on his 55th birthday.

"Na poi!"

Fela's definition of what goes on behind closed doors - when one is engaging in sexual intercourse.

"I must identify myself with Africa. Then I will have an identity."

How he came up with Afro-beat.

"With my music, I create change...I am using my music as a weapon."

Fela's thoughts on his music.

"My music is deep in African rhythm and the sound here is bebe."

Identifying the source and an effect of Afrobeat on your underwear!

A conversation between Fela and the police officer who 'checked' him in at Alagbon Close police station, the very first time Fela was arrested.

"...I can't fuck without grass, man. If you fuck with grass once you won't want to fuck without grass anymore. It would be a useless exercise,...That's why I started smoking grass o."

Fela, sharing his views, unequivocally, as usual.

"A radical is he who has no sense...fights without reason...I have a reason. I am authentic. Yes, that's what I am."

His response to the question; would you call yourself a radical?

"Alagbon dey roll like one yeye ball wey one yeye wind dey blow from one yeye corner."

His comments on the 'residents' of Alagbon Close, the police headquarters of the Nigerian CID. Further details can be found in his 1974 hit song 'Alagbon Close'.

"You no go do so again, you no go come back again, inside barracks you go dey...you go dey where you belong."

His 'dream' that the military, deter from seizing political power. 

"Sufferhead must go. Jeffahead must come."

Further dreams on politics.

"A lutta continua...a lutta continua, no! it must not continue. The struggle must STOP!". 

Still 'dreaming'...

"Dem go hear wen !".

Fela's way of saying;' I'll give them an earful.'

"I found that marriage is basically evil...an exploitation of affection."

Just before he divorced his 27 wives in April 1986, after his release from Maiduguri prison.

"Bleaching of the body to look lighter is immoral."

Asserting his views on skin lightening.

"I dey do research well well o! No be research I do, wey I sabi all the different African name for 'shit?' 

Fela revealing one of his many sources of information for the 1979 hit International Thief Thief .

"E don beg me."

Fela referring to Justice Gregory Okoro-Idogu, for convicting him of a 10 year sentence on trumped up charges of currency trafficking. The Justice later asserted he was under immense pressure from the then Babangida regime to sentence Fela.

"After all, the military do not just dance to my music, they march to it too."

Fela's sarcasm on a possible reason for the love-hate relationship between the Nigerian military and himself. 

"I don exposi o!"

After his zipper kept 'unzipping' while he was on stage during a 1988 London concert.

"The government dey steal o!...when you call dem thief now, e be like title, e go say 'so what, I'm a thief'. E go dey chop dey go; him belle dey swell, him neck dey double like Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji ( na him 'hole our money ). The new way dem dey steal for Nigeria now...na story, no be title...we call am 'C.A.C.M.L.S.N.H.N.N.N.F.S'.  Na him be; Chop And Clean Mouth Like Say Nothin' Happen Na New Name For Stealing!"

Performing at the Shrine, explaining the title of one of his unreleased songs.

"I don't tell lies against anybody. That's why I always win all my wars."

After all charges (amongst others) of abduction, murder, armed robbery, willful damage to Army property, possession of drugs and resisting arrest were dropped following his arrest after the 'unknown solider' incident.

"That is my best friend because it is a gift of the creator to Africans. It is a spirit. Marijuana has five fingers of creation...it enhances all your five senses."

Pointing to and explaining the essence of a joint.

"Ko do mi."

His definition of the word condom. (No translation here, sorry to all non-Yoruba speakers!)

"I dey do bend bend sleep since o. Make una no vex o."

At home, apologizing to journalists that came to interview him for his 57th birthday, after he had kept them waiting for over four hours. 

"Here, have some Felagoro."

An offer of Fela's special brew of liquidized Indian hemp to an unsuspecting journalist.

"To be spiritual is not  by praying and going to church. Spiritualism is the understanding of the universe so that it can be a better place to live in."

Fela's explanation on one of his anti-Christian views.

"Sex is a gift of nature. Why do men make laws to check it? A law telling you where to fuck and another telling you when to fuck."

Fela's views on why he likes having 'unlimited access' when it comes to sexual intercourse.

"...when I was first put in jail, the name of my prison cell was 'Kalakuta', and Republic? I wanted to identify myself with someone who didn't agree with the Federal Republic of Nigeria...I was in non-agreement."

Fela, on how he came up with the name; Kalakuta Republic, for his abode.

"To my knowledge, Koola Lobitos meant nothing. It was a foolish name, a stupid name...Nigeria 70 had a meaning. It was looking to the future, to the coming decade."

Fela, on why he changed his band name from Koola Lobitos  to Nigeria 70.

"I want peace. Happiness. Not only for myself. For everybody."

One of his life ambitions.

"Sex is life!"

Further views on sexual intercourse.

"No. Not at all. You know what I want? I want the world to change."

Fela's reply to the question; Do you want to leave an imprint on the world?

"Everything I did wrongly is an experience...to be honest and truthful in all endeavours is an experience, not a regret."

In response to being asked if he has any regrets.

"...man is here against his will. Where do we come from? What was before us?...when you think you die, you're not dead. Its a transition." 

Fela being philosophical on life and death.

"I just want to do my part and leave...Not for what they're going to remember you for, but for what you believe in as a man."

Fela's response on what he would like to be remembered for.

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