WOMAD

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

From Nigeria

Heavy, heavy Afrobeat signs off the weekend with a bang

It's not unusual for a son, on the occasion of his father's death, to inherit the family business. It is extraordinarily unusual, however, for the son to be just 15 years old and for the business to be fronting the heaviest and most politically charged Afrobeat band ever to shake Africa's core. But the teenage Seun Kuti wasn't the slightest bit overawed by taking control of father Fela's Egypt 80 band and, over ten years on, Seun Kuti has proved himself to be a dynamic bandleader, charming and energetic but with the requisite outspoken fervour coursing through his veins. And what a fabulous band to be in command of - veteran musicians who've been laying down this tougher-than-tough Afrobeat for decades now. It's a potent brew - splintery guitars, an indestructible rhythm section, plus one of the finest horn teams on this or any other planet. And out in front is young Seun, unafraid to rail against injustice in a very public manner. Dad would be proud.
(Biography by Nige Tassell 2008)
(Photograph by Martin Meissonnier)

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