Thursday at Mohawk, Seun Kuti helms Egypt 80, the band he inherited from his father, Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti (1938-1997). In fact, the bulk of musicians taking the stage with Fela’s youngest son, 36, once played alongside his father. We chatted with the fierce and fiery frontman prior to SXSW 2012 in this previously unpublished Q&A.
Austin Chronicle: The world knows your father as a larger-than-life figure. Did he seem that way to you?
Seun Kuti: Well, I grew up in Kalakuta so all of that was just my normal.
AC: Was there ever any question that music would be your path?
SK: I was just a kid when I began playing with the band. I would play my father’s songs and open the show for him. Up until I was about 15, I didn’t plan on making music a full-time career. It was something I did for fun. At 16, I decided it’s what I wanted to do with my life.
AC: After your father died, you took over the Egypt 80 band at only 14. Were you considered the band leader right away or did that take time?
SK: Respect is something you earn. It didn’t take too long. When Fela died the band was about 60-something people. Now we are 14. Those that stayed believed in me so it was a joint thing. There was a true belief in what we do and that’s why we’re here today.
AC: There’s a power and urgency in your music that’s hard to describe. Where does that come from?
SK: It’s from my environment. I experience what I’m talking about. I’m living it firsthand and understanding that Africans can’t continue to survive like this for much longer, so I think it’s really that passion that translates into the intensity that you feel.
AC: You play a fairly traditional form of Afrobeat, but you have a swagger that reminds me of some hip-hop artists. Did growing up in the hip-hop generation influence your music at all?
SK: Hip-hop growing up was so inspiring because young black people all over the world mastered this music and that’s why it influenced everyone so much. I saw it as something then to be used as empowerment for black youth all over the world, but today it’s no longer about that. It’s all about selfish things and how much money and cars you have, and how bad you are. It’s no longer the same art. Hip-hop didn’t go where I thought it was going to go. [Note that M1 of Dead Prez later appeared on Kuti & Egypt 80’s A Long Way to the Beginning in 2014.]
AC: What gives Afrobeat its staying power?
SK: Afrobeat is about reality. There is no faking anything in Afrobeat. You can’t fake what you’re talking about. You have to be the change that you want to see. I think Afrobeat is so popular because of its originality. The fact of what the music stands for and what it represents – and that’s the people. This is what gives the music its power.
AC: Afrobeat, your father’s Kalakuta Republic and the Shrine headquarters – what do you think all of that means to Lagos, Africa, and black music in general?
SK: I think all of that represents an institution that is part of a bigger wave of change in Africa. In the bigger picture, when Africa starts living up to its potential, Kalakuta and the Shrine will stand as monuments of freedom and change in Africa.
AC: You’ve fully embraced the legacy of your father, but do you ever feel burdened by the enormity of it?
SK: Being Fela’s son shaped my ideas and who I am. Being Fela’s son has always been a part of me, and I accepted that a long time ago. It’s very important to know who you are, but even more important is being able to accept it. I have accepted my individuality, and being Fela’s son is a big part of that. I don’t see that as a burden or responsibility in any way. It’s just a part of me that I accept and continue to appreciate.
This article appears in September 22 • 2017.
