Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

(NIG)

afro-beat

The youngest son of the legendary afro-beat inventor Fela Kuti is only 28, but he has already won the world’s attention with his two much-praised albums and wild live performances, where he plays not only his own songs but also some of his father’s classics, and plays with his old band.

Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti is also a gifted American football player, but luckily for us he decided to concentrate on the saxophone and the music. Ever since he was ten years old, he used to come and sing a couple of songs with Egypt 80, before his dad came on stage. When Fela died in 1997, Seun became the band’s lead vocalist at 14, so you can really say that he has grown up with afro-beat. Seun has also taken influences from Miles Davis, Gil Scott-Heron and rappers, like Chuck D and Eminem. Like his dad, Seun talks about the problems of Nigeria and Africa in his songs, and participates with Youssou N’Dour and other artists in a project fighting malaria.