For Afrobeat enthusiasts, August 2nd is observed as the anniversary of the death of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. In 1997, more than a million Nigerians converged in Lagos to pay tribute to the icon, a clear indication of his significant impact. His influence transcended Nigeria and the African diaspora, reaching audiences worldwide—from Lagos to England to New York—through his powerful musical legacy.
Fela Kuti was the pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre, a symphony of economics, politics, and critiques of neo-colonialism fueled by social consciousness. He harnessed this in spellbinding singles like “Colonial Mentality,” “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense,” and “Authority Stealing.”
Afrobeat, the musical precursor to the prevalent Afrobeats genre, has found widespread popularity within the contemporary music industry. However, its evolution reflects complexities aligned with neo-colonial influences, contrasting with the more purist stance championed by its original progenitor, Fela Kuti.
Fela’s legacy has been largely maintained and advanced by his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, who have both garnered significant global recognition, including historic Grammy nominations, akin to the acclaim bestowed upon their influential father.
Last month, Seun Kuti and his band Egypt 80 performed at Prospect Park in Brooklyn as part of the 46th Annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, continuing their North American Dey tour. This was not Kuti’s first appearance on the Brooklyn stage, as he and Egypt 80 had previously joined Faaji Agba in 2011 for a Celebrate Brooklyn! show commemorating the 50th anniversary of Nigerian independence.
“Seun and the iconic Egypt 80 band brought their highly energetic, joyful, and kinetic show to an audience of 7,000-plus Brooklynites, and just took things to the next level,” said Saidah Blount, executive director of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!.“Seun proves that contemporary African music truly is the pulse of what’s going on in dance music, as well as influencing new sounds all across the globe.”
Seun, the youngest of Fela’s seven children, was only 14 years old when his father passed away in 1997. Born into Fela’s famous communal compound, the Kalakuta Republic, in Lagos, Seun was immersed in his father’s band, Egypt 80, from birth. Seun quickly embraced the legacy of being Fela’s son, as evidenced by his own path. Following Fela’s death, Seun took over the leadership of Egypt 80, a role he has maintained for the past 33 years.
“I would open Egypt because Femi had his own band,” Seun told me during our exclusive interview before his Celebrate Brooklyn! performance. “Kunle, he’s not a musician. I have been in the band since I was eight. This is my 33rd year in Egypt 80. The band is all I’ve done.”
Source: Forbes
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