By Promise Eze
Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, has narrated how he told his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, that he wanted to be a musician.
He said this in an even at the Apollo Theater at New York.
“Thank you New York and Apollo Theater for an amazing night- It was here at this venue over 30 years ago I told my father I wanted to be a musician,” he wrote on Facebook.
Oluseun was born on the 11th of January, 1983, to Fela Kuti and Fehintola Anikulapo Kuti in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He indicated his interest in music at age five when he told his father he would love to sing to him.
After four years, Seun Kuti started following his father to shows and sang with the Egypt 80 band to open every show. After his performance, his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti would take over from him and perform for the remaining part of the show.
Seun became a full-fledged member of the Egypt 80 band before he clocked twelve because he was good at playing the saxophone, and percussion instruments. All through his teen years, Seun was involved in both the band and school work.
In 1997, he lost his dad to the cold hands of death. He then took over as the leader of the Egypt 80 band. He assumed this role to fulfil his father’s wishes. To date, Seun Kuti is still the leader of Fela’s Egypt 80 band.
At age eighteen, Seun Kuti decided he would love to follow his father’s footsteps and become a full-time revolutionary musician. Seun’s songs are a mix of his tunes and his father’s tunes.
Seun’s music has received both international and local applauds and praises. He has been on several tours and has performed to his enthusiastic fan base in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Lagos.
In 2011, Seun Kuti got his big break with the album – From Africa with Fury: Rise. The album was produced by the Knitting Factory Records and co-produced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds.
The album was listed on billboards and international digital charts. Despite all his accomplishments, Seun Kuti always credits his late dad as the number one of afrobeat. The afrobeat superstar still works with some of his late father’s producers.
