Seun Kuti

Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.

Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti at the 2008 Marsatac Festival in Marseille, France
Background information
Birth name	Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti
Born	(1983-01-11) 11 January 1983 (age 41) Lagos, Nigeria
Origin	Nigeria
Genres	Afrobeat
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, vocals
Labels	Disorient Records, Knitting Factory Records, Strut Records
Website	https://www.seunkuti.net/

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

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.

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

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

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.

In 2019, Kuti was a featured guest on 85 to Africa; the second album by American rapper Jidenna. 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.

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.

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

"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".

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

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

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

 

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.

Released as Sean Kuti & Egypt 80:

Studio albums

• Many Things (CD & LP album, 2008, Tôt ou Tard, Disorient Records)
• From Africa With Fury: Rise (2011, Knitting Factory Records/Because Music)
• A Long Way to the Beginning (2014, Knitting Factory Records)
• Struggle Sounds (EP, 2016, Sony Masterworks)
• Black Times (CD & LP album, 2018, Strut Records)
• Night Dreamer Direct to Disc Sessions (CD & LP, 2019, Night Dreamer Records)

Other recordings

• Think Africa (12", 2007)
• African Dreams EP (2022, with Black Thought)

Appearances

• "James Brown" (on the album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss by Sinéad O'Connor) (2014, Nettwerk)

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.

• Ransome-Kuti family
• Femi Kuti