Seun Kuti Has Upheld Fela Kuti’s Legacy for Over Three Decades

For Afrobeat enthusiasts, August 2nd marks the anniversary of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s death. In 1997, more than a million Nigerians gathered in Lagos to honor this iconic figure, showcasing his profound impact. Fela’s influence stretched far beyond Nigeria and the African diaspora, resonating with global audiences from Lagos to New York through his powerful musical legacy.

Fela Kuti pioneered the Afrobeat music genre, blending economics, politics, and critiques of neo-colonialism into socially conscious music. His spellbinding singles like “Colonial Mentality,” “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense,” and “Authority Stealing” exemplified his approach.

Afrobeat, the precursor to today’s popular Afrobeats genre, has gained widespread recognition in contemporary music. However, its evolution reflects the complexities of neo-colonial influences, which contrast with the more purist stance Fela Kuti championed.

Fela’s legacy continues through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, who have both achieved global recognition, including historic Grammy nominations, much like their influential father.

Last month, Seun Kuti and his band Egypt 80 performed at Prospect Park in Brooklyn during the 46th Annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. This North American ‘Dey’ tour marks another celebration of their vibrant music. This was not Kuti’s first appearance at the festival; in 2011, he and Egypt 80 performed with Faaji Agba to commemorate 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,” 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 just 14 when his father passed away in 1997. Born into the Kalakuta Republic, Seun was immersed in his father’s band, Egypt 80, from birth. Following Fela’s death, Seun took over the leadership of Egypt 80, a role he has maintained for 26 years.

“I would open Egypt because Femi had his own band,” Seun explained during an 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.”

Seun shared the weight of his responsibility: “The responsibility fell to me to keep the oil burning,” he continued, discussing his decision to maintain Fela’s Egypt 80 band.

Though Fela Kuti receives global recognition, especially on significant anniversaries, it’s primarily among his ardent supporters, including pan-Africanists, jazz aficionados, and creative circles.

During the 1970s up until his death, particularly in the 70s and 80s, Fela Kuti was vocal about the Nigerian government in his music, using his Afrobeat songs to criticize corruption, military oppression, and social injustices. His outspokenness led to constant harassment, intimidation, and brutal beatings during arrests. Journalists who reported on his experiences faced threats and arrests for covering his story.

One of the most infamous incidents was the 1977 Kalakuta Republic raid, where soldiers decimated Fela Kuti’s communal compound and brutalized him, ultimately leading to the death of his mother after she was forcefully thrown from a second-story window and succumbed to her severe injuries.

These events engendered a segment of the Nigerian populace to view Fela in a negative light, distancing him from mainstream Nigerian acceptance despite his global acclaim. However, even 26 years after his passing, Fela Kuti’s enduring influence is manifest in his recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations and his widespread recognition as an unimpeachable figure in African history.

“For me, you know, it’s not the entirety of what our reality is,” said Seun. “It is not just about my father. It is a global thing that those that try to change the status quo are alienated from the mainstream. The mainstream is basically corporations. So they’re not going to fund something that is against their own existence. Even when my father was alive, he went through the same thing. In death, I think he’s celebrated a bit more. We don’t leave it to the government to decide how to value our dad.”

One year after Fela’s death, his eldest daughter, Yeni Kuti founded Felabration, an annual music festival that celebrates Kuti’s music, activism, and fight against oppression and injustice through live music performances, cultural events, and artistic displays. The stage has been graced by several acclaimed acts, including Wizkid and Burna Boy. The Kutis did not wait for nor desire any external confirmation of the validity of their patriarch’s legacy.

There is, without a doubt, a stigma that comes with being Fela’s child, but it is not the typical stigma. It is one that is subjected to a limited populace. It is an inviolable aim that screams on their innocence, yet grants them a seat at the table of being one of the most respected African families in the world.

“I’ve never asked myself to navigate because I’ve been Fela’s as a child all my life,” said Seun. “The stigma and glory of being his child is something I’ve been feeling all my life as well. Due to my class consciousness, political awareness, I know where it comes from. It’s not really amongst people. It’s the narrative that is held by the oppressors and their agents.”

In June, it was reported that Lenny Kravitz is the executive producer of Seun Kuti and Egypt 80’s upcoming album, Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head), set for release on October 4 by Record Kicks. The first single from the album, “Dey” featuring Damian Marley, is an effortless amalgamation of Afrobeat and reggae, composed by the sons of cultural luminaries. The album will also feature contributions from Sodi Marciszewer, the original producer and engineer of Fela Kuti.

“I always say to people, when you do what I do sometimes, a lot of artists think, ‘Oh, because you’re not mainstream.’ I said, ‘If you do the right things and you are consistent, the people that need to see you will see you.’ That’s the story of Lenny and I in a nutshell. I’m really happy that I had the opportunity, and it was so gracious to be welcomed into his space.”

Source: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, Getty Images, Record Kicks, ullstein bild via Getty Images