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Seun Kuti

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Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti at the 2008 Marsatac Festival in Marseille, France
Seun Kuti at the 2008 Marsatac Festival in Marseille, France
Background information
Birth nameOluseun Anikulapo Kuti
Born (1983-01-11) 11 January 1983 (age 41)
Lagos, Nigeria
OriginNigeria
GenresAfrobeat
Occupation(s)Musician, singer
Instrument(s)Saxophone, vocals
LabelsDisorient Records, Knitting Factory Records, Strut Records
Websitehttps://www.seunkuti.net/

Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti (born 11 January 1983),[1] popularly known Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, singer and the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.[2][3]

Educational Background

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Seun Kuti, following in the footsteps of his father, pursued his musical education at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. During his time there, he became a member of the African Funk ensemble known as River Niger[4][5]

Biography

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The youngest son of Fela Kuti, Kuti was born in 1983. He became interested in music at the age of five, by the time he turned nine, he had started playing with his father's band, Egypt 80.[6]

Fela Kuti died in 1997 and Seun Kuti took to the role of leading Egypt 80.[7]

In 2008, the band released an album called Many Things. This was the first album released under the moniker Seun Kuti & Egypt 80.[7][8][9]

He is featured in Calle 13's song "Todo se mueve" (Everything Moves), on their 2010 album Entren los que quieran.

In 2014, Seun Kuti was given an honorary invitation to perform live for the first time at the Industry Nite.[10]

In 2019, Kuti was a featured guest on 85 to Africa; the second album by American rapper Jidenna.[11] In June, Kuti was featured in the Visual Collaborative electronic catalogue, under the Polaris series, he was interviewed on Pan-African awareness, his country and music.[12]

Politics

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Kuti participated actively in the Occupy Nigeria protests against the fuel subsidy removal policy of President Goodluck Jonathan in his country Nigeria in January 2012. Seun Kuti is an atheist.[13]

In 2019, on Jidenna's 85 to Africa album Kuti voiced an outro of a song with the words:[11]

"I believe it's time for an African peoples powered highway. A highway that will connect the Diaspora and Motherland. A global highway for African people all over the world to rediscover themselves. To remember that the only thing that unites black people, globally, the only thing we all have in common is that we are from Africa".[14]

In November 2020, he led the revival of his father's defunct political party – Movement of the People[15] – with the intention of registering it with Nigeria's electoral body, INEC.[16]

In fall 2023, he signed the open letter Artists Against Apartheid in support of Palestinians.[17]

Personal life

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Seun welcomed a baby girl with his partner on 16 December 2013 and named her Ifafunmike Adara Anikulapo-Kuti.[18]

Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 Orchestra performing at Celebrate Brooklyn 2011

Reception

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In 2018, Black Times, by Seun Kuti was nominated for the Grammys, in the World Music Category. This makes him the second child of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti to be considered for this award, as his elder brother Femi Kuti has been previously nominated in the same category without a win.[19][20][21][22]

Discography

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Released as Sean Kuti & Egypt 80:

Studio albums

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Other recordings

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Appearances

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Awards & Nominations

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In 2018, Seun Kuti's 'Black Times' album was nominated for the Grammys, under the World Music Category

In 2019, Seun Kuti was named one of the "100 Most Influential People" by TIME Magazine for his music and activism.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Seun Kuti: All you need to know about Fela's son as he turns 33 today". Nigerian Entertainment Today. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ^ Anikulapo, Seun (5 July 2011). "Femi And Seun Kuti Keep Their Father's Rebellious Beat". NPR. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Seun Anikulapo Kuti, youngest son and musical heir to Fela Kuti". Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  4. ^ Lewis, John (7 April 2011). "Seun Kuti: The sun always shines". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  5. ^ Mutsoli, Vivian (11 January 2021). "Seun Kuti biography: age, mother, educational background, wife". Legit.ng – Nigeria news. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Seun Kuti | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  8. ^ Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80 – Seun Kuti, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 6 September 2020
  9. ^ "Seun Kuti + Fela's Egypt 80* – Many Things". Discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Seun Kuti Thrills at Industry Nite". Pulse Nigeria TV. Chuey. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  11. ^ a b Nguyen, Dean Van (23 August 2019). "Jidenna: 85 to Africa – Classic Man takes it back to the source". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  12. ^ "U.S based Festival Platform Visual Collaborative features Seun Kuti & Other Africans". BellaNaija. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  13. ^ "I am happy I'm an atheist, says Seun Kuti – Vanguard News". Vanguardngr.com. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  14. ^ Jidenna (Ft. Seun Kuti) – Worth the Weight, retrieved 24 August 2019
  15. ^ "#EndSARS: Seun Kuti Revives Fela's Movement of the People, Calls For Better Governance". 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  16. ^ Bamidele, Michael (16 January 2021). "Seun Kuti Set To Register Fela's Political Party "Movement of the People"". The Guardian Life. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Sign the Letter: Artists Against Apartheid". The People's Forum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  18. ^ Naming ceremony -- Gistplaza.com Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine -- Retrieved from Nigerian entertainment site Gistplaza.com, 2014-02-12
  19. ^ "Will Seun Kuti finally bring home the Grammy Awards for the Anikulapo Kuti family?". Pulse Nigeria TV. Ehis Ohunyon. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  20. ^ Ohunyon, Ehis (11 December 2018). "Will Seun Kuti finally bring home the Grammy Awards for the Anikulapo Kuti family?". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  21. ^ Udodiong, Inemesit (11 February 2019). "Grammys 2019: Sole Nigerian nominee Seun Kuti loses 'World Music Award' to Soweto Gospel Choir". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  22. ^ Abimbola, Oluwakemi (27 October 2018). "Seun Kuti gets Grammy nomination". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  23. ^ Black Times – Seun Kuti, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 6 September 2020
  24. ^ Seun Kuti and Egypt 80: Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) review – Fela’s legacy lives on, retrieved 16 October 2024
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