Seun Kuti: ‘Even when I’m President of Nigeria I’ll play in the palace’
Seun Kuti is Fela’s youngest son. He took charge of Egypt 80 at 15, when his father died, and is now making his own waves with his distinctive and politically incisive debut album and his shows are seriously high energy. Kuti chatted with Debbie Golt when he was in London to promote his album ….
Debbie Golt: What drives your songwriting?
Seun Kuti: My country inspires me a lot. When you live in a country that’s so blessed and see a few people, maybe one million, getting rich off the backs of 130 million, it’s painful. A change of president has made no difference. They just set up panels and reports without giving any results to distract people from what is really going on; the appointments, the allocation of money.
Debbie Golt: How do you distil all this into songs?
Seun Kuti: That’s talent! That’s why everybody can’t be a songwriter – the ability to put your thoughts into a song. I think about what I want to write, maybe I make a poem, talk about it in my head, see what I want to bring in and pick the strongest points. The music can’t go on for ever these days. No one‘s got time. All the songs are composed and arranged by me. Everybody in the band puts something in by way of ability. I’m not the one playing the drums. You have to be great to keep up with my drum patterns – it was hard for me to record them even with my keyboard and logic. You have to be accurate, cool, sweet. I envy my drummer sometimes. They all write solos, we’re a team.
Debbie Golt: I like what you are doing with different instruments carrying the afrobeat. It feels different from what is mostly around.
Seun Kuti: My father did do the same thing. Not many people really know his music, only very few songs from a certain era are popular. Afrobeat had four eras 60-69, 70-79, 80-89 and from 90 till my father died. I look to the 70’s influence. My favourites are Look an Laugh – incredible horns and melody on every instrument and Original Sufferhead. Huh! That’s a track. The day I write tracks like that I’ll quit!
Debbie Golt: Would you really quit? What would you do?
Seun Kuti: I don’t think I’ll ever quit music. Even when I’m President of Nigeria I’ll play in the palace. Politics is my next step, but I don’t want to mix it. I won’t be a figurehead doing it for the cameras. A top class artist doesn’t have the time. I’m on the road constantly and I couldn’t be involved to the extent I want. Kalakuti Republic is my charity and I’m not going to bring cameras there to the house to expose how we conduct ourselves.
CAV: ‘Mosquito Song’ on your album is actually tied into a specific campaign isn’t it?
Seun Kuti: When I was first invited to do Africa Live by Youssou N’Dour, I didn’t see the point. Malaria you can cure for 3 dollars in the street outside my house without prescription. Then my manager encouraged me to look on the internet. I was totally flabbergasted: 6000 children die every 30 minutes and 60% are from my country. I wrote the song and rehearsed it with my band instantly, just 4 days before the event. I really wanted to say something about that. These people don’t care. African children die from a disease it costs just 3 dollars to cure.
Debbie Golt: Do you really want to be president?
Seun Kuti: In the future, once upon a day. As I say ‘walk, stumble, fall, get up then fly’. It’s important to make changes, but you need powers for that. The ruling class isn’t interested.
Debbie Golt: Do you think Obama has that capacity?
Seun Kuti: Not for the whole world, just for the US and how it’s seen. Even if he cannot impact, his influence will affect black people. There is no good role model in Africa, we have to look abroad.
Debbie Golt: Finally, how do you relax and switch off?
Seun Kuti: In solitude with meditation. I’m not a religious person, I just like to go into my thoughts assisted by the natural herb.
Seun Kuti’s MANY THINGS is out now on Tôt ou Tard records.
Feed us with ur deep thoughts especially when associated with the natural herbs
Excellent ITW ! Seun Kuti + Egypt 80 are the real thing!
I’m a big fan , you can check my fan-site here : http://seun.kuti.free.fr
AFROBEAT RULES
I wonder if there’s any chance that a musical on his fathers life might make it’s way to the UK.
Opening on Monday, October 19th at the Eugene Theatre on Broadway Fela! is billed as a “provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre” production.
For more visit:
http://www.felaonbroadway.com