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Tag: Seun Kuti

  • Seun Kuti’s ‘Black Times’ album listening holds today

    The listening party of Seun Kuti’s ‘Black Times’ album will hold today April 19, 2018, at the Kalakuta Museum, Gbemisola Street, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.

    As reviewed, the project done with the Egypt 80 band is an eight-song body of work which is set to get you glued to your headset for just about an hour.

    Songs include on the album include ‘Last Revolutionary’, ‘Black Times’ ft Carlos Santana, ‘Corporate Public Control Department (C.P.C.D)’, ‘Kuku Kee Me’, ‘Bad Man Lighter (B.M.L)’, ‘African Dreams’, ‘Struggle Sounds’ and ‘Theory of Goat and Yam.’

    Seun, son of Afrobeats legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, leads his late father’s band, Egypt 80. He also follows the political activism of his father as well as his grandmother, Madam Funmilayo Kuti who have been notable for their political roles in the country.

  • Stop indoctrinating your kids, says Seun Kuti

    Following the continued clamour for release Leah Sharibu from the den of Boko Haram members, leader of the Egypt 80 Band, Seun Kuti, has advised parents to ‘stop indoctrinating’ their children.

    ‘Extremist give their lives for what they believe,’ Seun, son of late Afrobeat founder, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, wrote on his Facebook page.

    ‘If Leah wants to die for Christ and u hail her instead of admonishing her parents for brainwashing her so bad, how do U have the moral justification to hate Boko haram for wanting to die for Mohammed?

    ‘Stop indoctrinating your kids. If u are willing to die for your god, u are willing to kill for him too and I don’t respect any of that!! I am sorry.’

    Leah Shairbu was among 110 girls Boko Haram kidnapped from the Government Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19, 2018. Five of the girls died and while 104 of the girls were released about a month later on March 21, 15-year old Leah was not. The reason – she refused to convert to Islam, a condition which her abductors wanted. Since then, a segment of Christians in the country have hailed Leah’s hardliner stance as representative of the Christian faith.

    Spreading the hashtag #stoptheindoctrination, Seun follows in the footsteps of his father, Fela, who, though a proponent of African Traditional Religion, advocated promoted freedom of religion and emancipation of the black race.

  • I’ve been set in my ways, Seun Kuti says as he releases childhood pic

    Seun Kuti, scion of the late musical legend Fela Kuti, on Thursday released a childhood picture of his that leaves little in doubt of the tenacious spirit that runs in the Kutis.

    “Man how does one look older than his grown self na!” he started on Facebook, describing the picture in which he looks straight and focused at the camera.

    “My mum used to tell me she used to literarily cry when I was a baby Cos I was such an old soul. She would ask the ancestors why they chose her, a first time mum and young woman to be raising such an old man.  I wasn’t an easy child to raise socially because I was pretty much set in my ways since forever, very immovable and a child that fulfilled a prophecy (story for another day) and didn’t shed a single tear when I was born, she said after spanking me and I was still staring at the doctor like Osho ( wizard) they had no choice but to stab me with a needle to make me cry and be a part of the human world of pain I guess. There were 43 women in labour at the same hospital on the day I was born. I was born early enough at 3 pm but no other baby was born that day. Make of that what U will!”

    Since the early 20th century, members of the Kuti family have always been a dominant force in the socio-cultural milieu of the country. His grandfather was the founder of the Nigerian Union of Teachers as well the Nigerian Union of Students, his grandmother was a woman activist and the first woman to drive a car and his father, Fela Kuti, was the founder of Afrobeats and socio-political activist.

    Presently, Seun leads his father’s Egypt 80 Band and has also continued the family tradition of advocacy. He describes his music as Struggle Music.

  • Billboard: Seun Kuti beats Fela’s record

    The late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s youngest son, Seun Kuti, has debuted at number eight on the BillBoard World Music Chart with his latest album ‘Black Times’.

    The Billboard chart tabulates the relative weekly popularity of singles or albums across the world, which is published in the Billboard magazine.

    Seun shared the news on his Instagram page @shotsdboss, posting a picture of the chart.

    He wrote: “Debut No 8 in the billboard world music chart. My first ever album to get in the charts.

    “Fehinlola and Fela come and see your son oooooo! Thanks for the support ‘Struggle’ people. Thanks to my record label K7 and STRUTT.”

    The move beats the record of his father, the ‘Afrobeat’ legend whose album ‘Live in Detroit’ was number nine on the same chart in 1986.

    Seun has led Fela’s former band ‘Egypt 80’since he was 14 when the latter died; after joining the band and performing with his father when he was 10.

    Despite having two other siblings who sing, including his older brother Femi, Seun has been credited with following his father’s musical and political footsteps staunchly.

    His 2008 debut album, ‘Many Things’, was produced by Martin Meissonnier, who had already produced two albums for his father.

    His second studio album ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise’ was released in 2011. It was recorded in London, produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself.

  • Billboard: Seun Kuti beats Fela’s record

    The late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s youngest son, Seun Kuti, has debuted at number eight on the BillBoard World Music Chart with his latest album ‘Black Times’.

    The Billboard chart tabulates the relative weekly popularity of singles or albums across the world, which is published in the Billboard magazine.

    Seun shared the news on his Instagram page @shotsdboss, posting a picture of the chart.

    He wrote: “Debut No 8 in the billboard world music chart. My first ever album to get in the charts.

    “Fehinlola and Fela come and see your son oooooo! Thanks for the support ‘Struggle’ people. Thanks to my record label K7 and STRUTT.”

    The move beats the record of his father, the ‘Afrobeat’ legend whose album ‘Live in Detroit’ was number nine on the same chart in 1986.

    Seun has led Fela’s former band ‘Egypt 80’since he was 14 when the latter died; after joining the band and performing with his father when he was 10.

    Despite having two other siblings who sing, including his older brother Femi, Seun has been credited with following his father’s musical and political footsteps staunchly.

    His 2008 debut album, ‘Many Things’, was produced by Martin Meissonnier, who had already produced two albums for his father.

    His second studio album ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise’ was released in 2011. It was recorded in London, produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself.

  • Seun Kuti ’s ‘Black Times,’ ranks 8th on Billboard World Music Chart

    Fela Kuti’s youngest son, Seun Kuti, has debuted at number eight on the BillBoard World Music Chart with his latest album ‘Black Times’.

    The Billboard charts, tabulates the relative weekly popularity of singles or albums across the world which are published in the Billboard magazine.

    Seun shared the news on his instagram page @shotsdboss, posting a picture of the chart.

    He wrote: “Debut No 8 in the billboard world music chart. My first ever album to get in the charts.

    “Fehinlola and Fela come and see your son oooooo! Thanks for the support ‘Struggle’ people. Thanks to my record label K7 and STRUTT.”

    The move beats the record of his father, the ‘Afrobeat’ legend whose album ‘Live in Detroit’ was number nine on the same chart in 1986.

    Seun Kuti has led Fela’s former band ‘Egypt 80’since he was 14 when the latter died; after joining the band and performing with his father when he was 10.

    Despite having two other siblings who sing, including his older brother Femi, Seun has been credited with following his father’s musical and political footsteps staunchly.

    His 2008 debut album, ‘Many Things’, was produced by Martin Meissonnier, who had already produced two albums for his father.

    His second studio album ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise’ was released in 2011. It was recorded in London, produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself.

    NAN

  • Seun Kuti mourns dog

    DOGS have been called man’s best friend and so it was understandable that Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti took to Instagram to mourn the passing of his dog, Vibrations, aka Vybz.

    ‘See U on the other side big man,’ the son of Afrobeat founder Fela Kuti wrote, posting a picture of the dog as well as his daughter.

    ‘We shall all miss you! Love you men. #rip positive vibrations aka vybz.’

    The dog was Seun’s companion in Lagos, especially at his residence and the Kalakuta Museum where he often rehearsed with his band, Egypt 80.

    Seun, who uses music to champion the Africa’s social, economic and political issues is set to perform at the Nublu Jazz Festival which holds in March in Brazil.

  • ‘I still can’t believe Fela is gone’

    ‘I still can’t believe Fela is gone’

    Seun Kuti, a scion of the late Afrobeat sage, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, yesterday said that he still finds it hard coming to terms with his father’s passing. According to him, what started as a rumour turned out real, leaving him quite traumatized.

    Recounting the incident as he remembers on his Facebook page, the singer, who took over his father’s Egypt 80 band wrote; “the week preceding this one 20 years ago was quite traumatizing as rumors of Fela’s death had spread.

    “It was so widespread that Fela’s very good friend Michele Avantario #rip flew in from Italy to mourn. He arrived in the morning of this exact day. He stood at the top of our street, too shaken to approach the house. I stumbled upon him while going to see my friend, Arthur. Michele what are you doing here crying? He said Fela is dead! I said no; stop crying it’s just a rumor. He pulled himself together and we went to KK (Kalakuta).

    “He said he bought me the new Play station on his way. I was beyond elated. We chilled at KK. I went back to his hotel; we discussed a bit till it was about 8, got my PS and headed back home.”

    At that moment, Seun said, he was the happiest man in the whole world.

    “As I approached KK I saw a huge crowd outside, my elder brother’s friend Siasia was outside. I asked him what was happening and he said Seun Just go inside. Everyone was crying. ‘FELA DON DIE, FELA DON DIE’ couldn’t believe it. #20years later, I still can’t believe it. YEAR 20 A F E (After Fela Era) PS: Happy post humous birthday Dr Beko Ransome Kuti,” he added.

    Fela’s demise was announced a day later, on August 3, 1997 by his elder brother, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health.

     

  • Seun Kuti blames Mandela for Xenophobia

    Seun Kuti blames Mandela for Xenophobia

    Followig recent reports of violence against Nigerians and other nationals in South Africa, Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has accused the late president of the country, Nelson Mandela for the xenophobic attacks.

    Seun, the charismatic leader of Fela’s legendary Afrobeat orchestra, Egypt 80 questioned the attacks in a Facebook post.

    He asks; “Hey Black South Africans aren’t you ashamed of yourselves? Has your spirit of revolution completely destroyed by your rudderless ANC to the extent that you have become cowards who bully fellow Africans? Fellow Brothers?”

    The post further reads: “Ok answer me this. If every Nigerian is deported out of South Africa there will be no more crime in South Africa? There will be no more injustice and inequality? Mandela once again thanks for your rainbow nation. Thanks for teaching your people to love whites but forgot to tell them to embrace blacks.”

    Though his father passed on almost two decades ago, his spirit still lives on in Seun Kuti as he has proven himself to be an outspoken political activist.

     

  • Seun Kuti advocates for #naijaresistance

    Seun Kuti advocates for #naijaresistance

    Afrobeats musician and activist Seun Kuti has advocated a new option for Nigerians not satisfied with confronting governance issues in the country via protests.
    “You see I have done the protest thing and realized that it just makes people rich and some kids of the elites who are benefitting from our pain can absolve themselves of guilt,” Seun, the fiery son of Fela Kuti, who comes from a line of famous activists, said over the weekend on his Facebook page.
    “You see everyone can protest but not everyone can RESIST. I give u #naijaresistance. It’s not a one day thing and we don’t have to gather to make it happen. It’s broad and takes coaching and we will give it but it’s powerful because anywhere y(ou) are (yo)u can RESIST.
    Slamming lawyers, bankers and even educationists as collaborators of elites who are responsible for Nigeria’s economic woes, he advised Nigerian youths to ‘resist this class.’
    “I can’t say the lawyers hate Nigerians but I know their collaboration with the elites (many of them a part of the class as well) and public officials (many of them part of this class as well) proves to me that they do,” he wrote.
    “The best lawyers in Nigeria defend criminality and cooperate interests. If Deziani can’t be arrested or tried today look no further than the Nigerian judiciary and legal profession for the answer. As the youths we must resist this class.”
    Having similar words for bankers for refusing loans to the “common man” and educationists that teach “us self hate and instils a certain pride in ignorance upon us,” he called for resistance.
    Seun also promised his fans to share tips on how to resists such ‘institutions’ and “bring about the best in us as a people” on his Facebook and Twitter pages.
    While Seun did not partake of the recent One Voice protest against bad governance in Nigeria, in which the poster boy of the protest, 2Baba, chickened out of at the last minute, he actively participated in the fuel subsidy protests of 2012.