Ever heard of the Nigerian artist who held a single note on a sax circular breathing for close to 52 minutes in 2017 and had his name enter the Guinness world records in 2017 yeah? That’s the music icon we are spotlighting today on the #AOTW. He’s the oldest son of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. You’ve hear his name on #TBS few times. Sometime in August 2019 when we celebrated Nigerian acts with Grammy nominations between 2017 and 2019 he was in the mention. He’s no other but Femi Kuti- Afrobeat hit maker; Chocolate City signee since 2014. He was featured on a song by Niniola in February 2020. We will be jamming you songs from his 4 albums that have been nominated at the Grammys over the years.
That’s what’s up! He’s international, West African, African and Afro-beat hit maker. Y’all remember, last year Femi Kuti has been nominated for the Grammys for about 4 over the years. He’s a very big name internationally even he appears unappreciated nor his music being paid attention here at home. He’s got lots of albums out- about 15 albums already. He is a global citizen! He’s been churning out music home and beyond the Africa shores since the 1980s. Femi, the son of Afrobeat singer and political activist Fela Kuti, inherited his father’s zeal for both music and activism.
Yeah right! Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti was born on 16th June 1962/63 (but in his 50s) in London to the late Afrobeat pioneer legend – Fela and the late madam Remilekun Ransome-Kuti. Femi grew up in Lagos. At age 16 he started playing the saxophone and keyboard and eventually became a member of his father’s band at age 18. He studied at Baptist Academy and Igbobi College. Kuti’s work, like the music of his father, draws from his African roots, but steps beyond with the addition of more contemporary grooves like “rock, rap, house and jungle” in his words . Let’s talk about how Femi came into the limelight. He broke fully into spotlight, writing and singing after his father’s demise. In the late 1980s, he created his own band Positive Force with a former keyboard player of his father Dele Sosimi (Gbedu Resurrection) and kicked off his international career in 1988.
Here is a song from his first ever Grammys nomination album Fight To Win. It’s a-12 track album released in mid-October 2001. Research revealed that this first Grammy was in 2003 under the ‘Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording’. But according to grammy.com the album was nominated in the category of best world music album at the 45th annual Grammy awards in 2003. Femi Kuti once disclosed that he was facing crisis in his career with the record label MCA in France at the time the album hit Grammys nomination. Music critic/review (on bbc.co.uk) said the album resonates well on the most urban of modern r&b radio stations. Have a listen to the song:
No. 4: Walk On The Right Side”( tagged an excellent showcase of 21st century Afrobeat. It is modern and Afrocentric)
Still on how Femi Kuti broke into the mainstream, he was invited by the French Cultural Centre in Lagos and Christian Mousset to perform at a festival in France, in Paris and in Germany. His debut album Femi Kuti was released in 1995 via Motown’s Tabu Records label. The album introduced Femi Kuti and afrobeat to an international audience. Though the album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die but according to Femi, his late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, condemned his 10 track debut album calling it useless until he released his second album and got praised.
We are about to hook you up with more music back to back. We got songs from Femi’s two Grammy awards nominations in 2010 and 2013. Some info here about the songs and the albums here! Africa For Africa album from 2010 released via Wrasse Records. The 14 track album was also released in 2011 on Knitting Factory Records. The album “revisits a few songs Femi has recorded before (specifically, for 2004’s Africa Shrine album). Despite the recycling, it’s one of his most inventive and potent albums to date, full of aggression, euphoria, and hope”(allmusic.com). According to grammy.com, the album was nominated in the category of best world music album at the 54th Grammy awards in 201.
The song at #2 is from the album No Place For My Dream. That is Femi Kuti’s 10th full-length album of 10 full tracks and one instrumental that was released in June 2013 under Knitting Factory Records. This album is musically considered his best album with influences from Afrobeat, Caribbean, and Latin music. The album was nominated in the category of best world MUSIC ALBUM at the Grammy awards in 2014. “This Is Only the Beginning,” another track on the album is Femi’s favourite. He said this in an interview with afropop.org in 2013.We’ll jam that song at #2
No. 3: “Make We Remember” (2010 song Femi cites a number of heroes of African-rooted people, from his late father to Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, Kwame Nkrumah among others. In rapid-fire voice, Femi sums up in five minutes the struggles of the great African legends).
No. 2: “This Is Only the Beginning,” (2013)
You got to have hears for great music and high level of reasoning to appreciate Femi’s music. His kind of music aligns with that of his late father. His music tells the African stories, cultures, aspirations, hopes, and dreams. Femi’s genres, like the music of his father, draws from his African roots but he introduced “rock, rap, house and jungle” sounds into his music just to make some difference. Once disclosed in an interview with billboard.com in1999 saying he’s “destined to play Afrobeat” because it is part of who he is where I came from.
You already know politics is certainly in the family tradition, so Femi uses blunt cliché, in some of the songs on the album No Place For My Dream where we pick the #2 song from. Places where his late father used metaphor, satire and humor to make his point especially in songs like:“Action Time,” “Carry On Pushing On,” and “One Man Show” to show powerful messages embedded in them.
We are now on the song#1 from that has the same title as the album. It is a-12 track album released in mid-October 2008. The album titled Day By Day was nominated in the category of best contemporary world music album at the 52nd annual Grammy awards in 2009. The album compared to previous releases according to research, has far more explicit references to religion than ever; reflecting the way always bring prayers into everything in Nigeria (bbc.co.uk). Songs like “Do You Know” “Tension Grip Africa” on the album are packed with vibes as well!
No. 1: “Day by Day” (perfect pick for this period that the whole world is grappling with COVId-19; we need more prayers to heal the world. Don’t we? It has more afrobeat feel and it will sure make you think, ask questions, and care)
ALBUMS
10 studio albums: No Cause for Alarm? (1989, Polydor), M.Y.O.B (1991, Kalakuta Records), Femi Kuti (1995, Tabu/Motown), Shoki Shoki (1998, Barclay/Polygram/Fontana MCA), Fight to Win (2001, Barclay/Polygram/Fontana MCA/Wraase), Africa Shrine (2004, MK2 Music/UWe), Day by Day (2008, Wrasse Records), Africa for Africa (2010 /2011, Wrasse Records / Knitting Factory Records), No Place for My Dream (2013, Knitting Factory Records), One People One World (2018, Knitting Factory Records)
He has live albums such as: Africa Shrine (Live CD) in 2004, Live at the Shrine (Deluxe Edition DVD) + Africa Shrine (Live CD) in 2005. Also compilation album: Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack (2008, IF99)
AWARD & NOMINATIONS
Femi Kuti has been nominated for a Grammy award four times in the world music category in 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2013 but has never won. You might have heard these nomiations happen in 2002 or 2003 in the case of Fight to Win, 2009 or 2010 in the case of Day by Day 2011 or 2012 in the case of Africa for Africa and 2013 or 2014 in the case of No Place for My Dream. Just bear it in mind that Grammy nominations are usually happen year before the main awards
FACTS
- On 15 May 2017 Femi Anikulapo Kuti set the biggest world records- the Guinness world records under the catalog of a single note held on a sax in a method called circular breathing at 51 min 35 seconds
- Femi Kuti is not the only son of the late Fela that does music. He’s got a younger brother Seun Kuti as well. But he’s the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat Funmilayo Ransome Kuti
- In November 2014, Afrobeat king, Femi Kuti, during an interview with with premiumtimesng.com disclosed that he signed a management deal with Chocolate City because the organisation has great ideas. Remember, in March 2019, billboard.com announced that Warner Music Group’s partnership with Chocolate City.
- Femi’s music like his father’s are more of criticizing the Nigerian politics His own genres of music include: funk, jazz and traditional African-fueled songs about political corruption, poverty and primitive living conditions suffered by most Nigerians
There are complaints that Femi’s music also criticizes his homeland Nigeria as reflected in some of his songs such as “Sorry Sorry”, “What Will Tomorrow Bring” and “97”. Some have said Femi surely knows that he will never achieve the legendary status of his dad even though he has continue fight the same causes as his late father in a more funky way. We leave all that to y’all music critics as we head out of the studio leaving you with the song at #1
