The Yorubas are one of the largest African ethnic groups south of the Sahara Desert. They are, in fact, not a single group, but rather a collection of diverse people bound together by a common language, history, and culture. The Yoruba homeland is located in West Africa. It stretches from a savanna (grassland) region in the north to a region of tropical rain forests in the south. Most Yoruba live in Nigeria. However there are also some scattered groups in Benin and Togo. During the four centuries of the slave trade, Yoruba territory was known as the Slave Coast. Uncounted numbers of Yoruba were carried to the Americas. Their descendants preserved Yoruba traditions. In several parts of the Caribbean and South America, Yoruba religion has been combined with Christianity. There are also many Yoruba descents/ diaspora who are living in North America and Europe.Music is part of the Yoruba's culture and tradition. Many musicians of Yoruba heritage had made their mark on the world stage. Although some of them did not sing in Yoruba but they all acknowledged their heritage. The following 15 artistes were selected based on the following inclusion criteria:a. Yoruba parentage (either father or mother)b. Nominees or recipients of major global or African musical awardsc. Performing on the global staged. Being on US or European top chartse. Popular beyond Africa1. Fela Anikulapo Kuti2. Tunde Baiyewu (Formerly of Lighthouse family)3. Angelique Kidjo4. Sade5. Ayo6. Asa7. Seal8. Lagbaja9. King Sunny Ade10. Ebenezer Obey11. Femi Kuti12. IK Dairo13. Beautiful Nubia14. D'Banj15. Orlando JuliusHowever there are many other musicians who are of Yoruba heritage but these 15 are the ones acknowledged as the most popular ones outside Nigeria and Africa. Some are already subject of Masters and PhD dissertations in universities around the world.FELA ANIKULAPO-KUTIDrummer, Pianist, Civil Rights Activist, Songwriter (1938'1997)Early YearsMusician and political activist Fela Kuti was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Kuti was the son of a Protestant minister, Reverend Ransome-Kuti. His mother, Funmilayo, was a political activist.Activism Through MusicIn 1963, Kuti formed a band called Koola Lobitos. He would later change the band's name to Afrika 70, and again to Egypt 80. Beginning in the 1960s, Kuti pioneered and popularized his own unique style of music called "Afrobeat." Afrobeat is a combination of funk, jazz, salsa, Calypso and traditional Nigerian Yoruba music. In addition to their distinctive mixed-genre style, Kuti's songs were considered unique in comparison to more commercially popular songs due to their length'ranging anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour long. Kuti sang in a combination of Pidgin English and Yoruba.In the 1970s and '80s, Kuti's rebellious song lyrics established him as political dissident. As a result, Afrobeat has come to be associated with making political, social and cultural statements about greed and corruption. One of Kuti's songs, "Zombie," questions Nigerian soldiers' blind obedience to carrying out orders. Another, "V.I.P. (Vagabonds in Power)," seeks to empower the disenfranchised masses to rise up against the government.http://www.biography.com/people/fela-kuti-21215355
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