The legacy and impact of Seun Kuti, the youngest son of Fela Kuti. From inheriting his father's band, Egypt 80, to becoming a Grammy-nominated Afrobeat artist and activist.

Imagine coming from a family where your father is known as the "Black President" and the inventor of African classical music. At the same time, your grandmother is revered as the "Lioness of Libani." This legacy placed before you demands nothing less than vibrancy in music and political activism.  Seun Kuti is no different, too.

Seun Kuti is a big shadow of his father, Fela Kuti. He inherited his father's band and performed as an Afrobeat singer with recognition. Seun is nominated for a Grammy award and named among one of the "100 Most Influential People" by TIME Magazine. This is because of his music and activism.

The name Seun Kuti is a reverberation of Afrobeat. He continues to keep the original Afrobeat ringing alongside his father's legacy. The singer has carved his own legacy, activism, and sound.

Who is Seun Kuti?

As the youngest son of Fela and Fehintola Anikulapo Kuti, Seun has continued to carry his father's band. Fela who believed "Music is the weapon" by being a protest singer. His music is a call to resistance and also to move your body to its infectious polyrhythms.

Seun Kuti, who was born on 11 January 1983 as Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, would grow up to carry on his father's mantle. He was born and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. This musical icon pursued his studies in music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. During his time there, he was a member of the African Funk ensemble known as River Niger.

His life revolved around music, and little Seun interest in music started when he was five. Before he turned nine, he started playing with his father's band, Egypt 80.

At the death of his father in 1997, Seun Kuti took to the role of leading Egypt 80 at the age of 14. Femi, his elder brother, had left home to assemble his music group. To this, Seun inherited their father’s Egypt 80 band. He had been performing with the band since he was eight.

This Fela's protégé would balance his father’s tunes with his own. He incorporates African traditions and reflects the continent’s struggles. Seun is a husband and father. 

In May 2023, a video of Seun assaulting a policeman went viral on Nigeria’s social media. He turned himself in for arrest and was arraigned in a magistrate court where he pleaded not guilty.

Major Event and Milestone

Seun is renowned for his astounding vocals and saxophone talent. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and sound technologist. The musician is inspired by his spiritual connection to his environment and his political awareness, which are the two main sources of his lyrics.

The singer has released over six albums, with his debut album released in 2008. He achieved a breakthrough with the 2011 album “From Africa with Fury: Rise,” co-produced with Brian Eno. Other albums include A Long Way to the Beginning, Struggle Sounds, Black Times, and Night Dreamer Direct to Disc Session. In 2018, his 'Black Times' album was nominated for the Grammys under the World Music Category.

Seun also engages in political activism. In 2012, he participated actively in the Occupy Nigeria protests against President Goodluck Jonathan's fuel subsidy removal policy in Nigeria.

He also tried to revive his father's defunct political party (Movement of the People) by registering it with Nigeria's electoral body, INEC. Also, in the fall of 2023, Seun signed the open letter Artists Against Apartheid in support of Palestinians.

In 2020, Seun married Yetunde George Ademiluyi and is a father to two daughters. He also believes in Traditional African Religion; according to him, it is not imported.

Carrying Fela Kuti Afrobeat Vibration 

Seun has worked with his father's band for over 33 years and led them for over 27 years. The singer has performed with the band in both local and international stages. 

His familiarity with his father's band members is still there. Four members of Fela’s original Egypt 80 band still perform with Seun. One of them, Showboy, Fela's lead baritone soloist, is still an integral part of the group, though he made room for a younger saxophonist. 

The Egypt 80 band rehearses every Wednesday and Friday in a building closer to Kalakuta Museum, Fela Kuti’s former home, which is situated in the heart of the ever-busy Allen Avenue in Lagos. 

Though Seun is not a fan of music streaming, he has a Spotify account with an average of 400,000 monthly listeners, and his song ‘Float’ has an average of 18 million streams. 

Born into activism, Seun actively participated in two of Nigeria's biggest mass unrests in recent times:  the 2012 #OccupyNigeria on fuel subsidy and the 2020 #EndSARS protests on police brutality. 

Seun's robust engagement with music and activism can be likened to his father. Though his father's popularity still rings more. He has shown in various music, feuds, interviews, and social media posts and shows that he is made of the same material.

Conclusion 

Seun Kuti replicates a legacy, sound, and activism set before him. He continues to work harder to ensure the flow through his activities, such as his music. He is from a dynasty of music and activism and puts much effort into resounding it.

Carrying on the mandate of his father's popular band, Egypt 80, where he expressed himself as an artist, proves this act. He has joined and voiced out with major protests such as Occupy Nigeria and End Sars. Finally, Seun's online post is also another medium to continue his expression.

Now that you know of Seun Kuti and how he is using music to set a pace for a better world, how are you inspired to make an impact with your skills and voice?