The Untold Story of Roy Ayers & Fela Kuti’s Daring Tour

roy ayers performing
Via Flickr
Adé Hennis
March 17, 2025

In 1979, Roy Ayers went to Nigeria for what might have been his most dangerous tour. From being held at gunpoint by police, to choosing which town was the safest for him to stay in, the legendary artist couldn’t let his guard down for a second. Luckily, he had an experienced revolutionary by his side.

Fela Kuti was one of Nigeria’s most wanted, as he consistently spoke out against Nigeria’s corruption through Afrobeat music. A year before Ayers and Kuti embarked on their tour, soldiers of the military government had killed Kuti’s mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a prominent educator and women’s rights activist.

Akers and Fela Kuti shared a love for Pan-Africanism, wanting Black people worldwide to join forces. What began as a tour grew into a deep friendship. Ayers even joined Futi at Nigerian schools, teaching kids about independence and colonial oppression.

By 1980, Ayers was still in Nigeria, releasing a joint album with Kuti, featuring the single “2000 Blacks Got To Be Free.” In the song, Ayers envisioned a future where the peoples of the entire African diaspora came together as a collective.

Roy Ayers and Fela Kuti faced death numerous times, but their collaboration resulted in solidarity. Their unbreakable bond shows that unity can overcome corruption, even from our own people.

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