ALL ARTISTS// Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
One of Femi’s most vivid memories is that of Fela parading the body of his murdered mother, also a leading opposition figure, in front of the government buildings. From an early age Femi began pursuing the struggle championed by his father and many other warriors before him. He founded MASS (Movement Against Second Slavery), and he is also actively involved in the fight against AIDS in his country. “Shoki, Shoki”, the name of his 1998 album, is nothing less than the nickname given to him by the students of one of the sex education classes he organises.
This ten-track record sold over 500,000 copies worldwide and finally took him out from his father’s giant shadow. It also courted controversy: one of the songs, “Bang Bang Bang” was banned from the radio by the National Broadcasting Commission, a government-run institution. Under the Nigeria of military dictator Sani Abashi, it was not the album’s outspoken political lyrics that outraged the authorities, but lyrics describing sexual pleasures from a woman’s point of view. The NBC deemed it a song that corrupted “the innocence of youth”…
Femi Kuti has become one of today's leading African musicians. A self-taught saxophonist, he played alto with his father during Fela's 1981 tour and even took his place at the last minute, fronting the forty strong band, Egypt 80, for the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl concert in 1985. This followed Fela’s arrest in Lagos just before boarding the plane. Now it is Femi that plays to packed out venues all around the world. Backed by his group Positive Force, his shows are high energy entertainment.
Spreading the word of Afro Beat (the genre concocted by Fela and Tony Allen), Femi's mix of traditional sounds and modern attitudes are just as popular with fans of African music as the clubbers who dance to the remixes by Masters At Work and Kerri Chandler.
In 2004, a recording of a live concert at his Africa Shrine in Lagos gave birth to a powerful album of his most popular songs. It also gave rise to a moving documentary “Live at the Shrine” by MK2 Productions. This mixed interviews with concert extracts and shots of the hot and humid atmosphere that reigns in this unique location.
Daniel Brown
Magali Bergès
// ALSO
- Day by Day
- Africa for Africa
- Lagos, April 2004
- Art Melody's futuristic African hip hop
- Tony Allen, Afrobeat ace
- African Soul Rebels Special: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 on UK tour 13-21 April 2011
- New Awards for World Music
- Khaled, Liberté
- Oumou Sangare, Oumou Sangare // The Malian songbird returns
// DISCOGRAPHY
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Day by day (Album)
Africa Shrine (Album)
Shoki Shoki (Album)
Via Campesina (Album)
Fight to Win (Album)// LINKS
RELATED ARTISTS
>> Seun Kuti
>> Asian Dub Foundation
>> Tinariwen
>> Gudrun Holck
>> Fela Anikulapo Kuti
REPORTS
// CONTACT
MK2 MUSIC (Label)
Tel : 01 44 67 30 09 Fax : 01 44 67 30 43
55 rue Traversière
PARIS FRA 75012
Send an email
Femi Kuti's Website
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