Audio: Seun Kuti x Spoek Mathambo ‘The Good Leaf’


Two of our all-out favorite dudes link up in this remix of — top LP of 2k11 choice — From Africa With Fury: Rise closer track “The Good Leaf.” South African afrofuturist Spoek Mathambo takes Seun Kuti‘s tune on a trip down south from its Nigerian origins. The afrobeat horns and feel remain, but Spoek pumps up the rhythm and adds a layer of delayed haze over the whole thing. Check out Seun Kuti & Egypt 80′s upcoming US tour dates and preview Spoek’s upcoming Father Creeper LP. Stream and download “The Good Leaf (Spoek Mathambo Remix)” below.

Seun Kuti, “The Good Leaf” (Spoek Mothambo Remix) by The FADER

(via Fader)

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Announce U.S. Tour

Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 will follow the release of — top LP of 2k11 choice — From Africa With Fury: Rise with an extended North American tour, in which they’ll hit up just about every state in the ol’ USA. Check out a full list of the tour dates and make sure to catch them live! Music video for From Africa With Fury single “Rise Above” above.

SEUN KUTI DATES
3/15 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/16 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
3/17 – Mt. Tabor Theater – Portland, OR
3/18 – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR
3/21 – Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA
3/23 – Moe’s – Santa Cruz, CA
3/24 – Mateel Cultural Center – Redway, CA
3/28 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
3/29 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
3/30 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
3/31 – Englert Theater – Iowa City, IA
4/1 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
4/4 – Variety – Atlanta, GA
4/5 – Duke Performances – Durham, NC
4/6- Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
4/7 – Club Helsinki – Hudson, NY
4/8 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY
4/12 – UW Madison – Madison, WI
4/13 – Rhythm Foundation – Miami, FL
4/14 – The Cedar – Minneapolis, MN
4/15 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/16 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA
4/18 – UC San Diego – San Diego, CA
4/19 – Zellerbach Hall – Berkeley, CA
4/20 – UCLA Royce Hall – Los Angeles, CA
4/22 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/24 – KTAOS Solar Center – Taos, NM
4/25 – Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
4/27 – New Orleans Jazz Festival – New Orleans, LA
4/29 – Houston International Festival – Houston, TX
5/2 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
5/13 – Lake Eden Arts Festival – Black Mountain, NC

Seun Kuti in Conversation

For years, the late Fela Kuti used Afrobeat to speak out against the government in Nigeria. Now his sonsFemi and Seun Kuti, are 4th generation musicians with their own political message. Leading up to his recent performance in London with members of his father’s band, Seun stopped to speak at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) with professor and BBC Presenter, Lucy Duran and Stephen Chan (whole discussion in the video above). The conversation began with a recording of Seun’s great grandfather, Reverend J.J. Ransome-Kuti, in Britain in 1922 singing a hymn. It was the first musical recording of its kind for release in West Africa. When the recording ended, Seun laughed and said, “My dad didn’t have much love for this music.”

Reminiscing about his father, Seun laughed a lot. He explained that his family required music, and was strict about practice. His father was beaten if he didn’t practice, but Fela never had to hit Seun. “It’s Fela. He doesn’t have to beat you. He just opens his eyes!”

Not only are the Kutis known for their music, but various members of the family became other important figures. Seun’s grandmother was one of Africa’s first women’s rights fighters until she was assassinated. Seun added, “In the Kuti family, we always try to be the best at everything.”

The discussion soon turned to Seun’s message: “I am a revolutionary first, and a musician second…if I had to choose one or the other, that is.” Yet, Seun explained he is not the revolutionary his father was. At some point Seun realized that Africa is being affected by external forces more than by internal forces. He went on to list multinational corporations like oil companies and global institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and UN as culprits.

 

Seun’s music is still about Nigeria, and resonates with the people there, but he blames the outside world for keeping Africa down. Seun’s latest album, From Africa with Fury: Rise, calls for Africa to take control back. “We have to bring empathy back…no one has started a genuine fight for the people.”

The rest of the hour-long discussion talked about issues ranging from the education system in Nigeria, to corruption in the country. The young Kuti, 28, has formulated his opionions and is using his music to share it. “I want my people to feel me, but I want the world to understand me,” he said, proving that the revolutionary musician lives on.

VIDEO: Seun Kuti Rips Hip-Hop A New One

Seun rips today’s commercial hip-hop artists a new one, talks about polygamy and monogamy (“one wife too many”), his dream collabo, and how he’ll keep the afrobeat flame alive forever. (As Seun and Fela’s  fans like to quote, the elder Kuti’s name  is an acronym for “For Ever Lives Afrobeat” – or “Africa” – you choose.)

According to Rolling Stone, Seun’s sophomore album, From Africa With Fury: Rise, co-produced with Brian Eno, simply “burns.” Backed by his father’s band Egypt 80, he’ll def be burning it up at the Propsect Park Bandshell tomorrow night (FREE!) and follows up with an  intimate set at S.O.B‘s next Wednesday.

More tour dates after the jump.

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NYC: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 with Faaji Agba in Prospect Park this Friday!

On Friday (7/22) Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 will be joining Faaji Agba for Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Prospect Park Bandshell. This multi-generational show is part of a yearlong celebration commemorating Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence. Seun, the son of Nigerian revolutionary and inventor of “afrobeat,” Fela Kuti, has been singing along side his father’s band, Egypt 80, since he was nine years old.  As a vocalist and saxophonist he uses his music to teach and bring awareness to African youth, blending contemporary sounds with traditional afrobeat rhythms to create afro-pop filled with fierce beats and dynamic, funky energy.

Faaji Agba’s roster includes prior members of Fatai Rolling Dollar, Prince ‘Eji’ Oyewole, and Chief Seni Tejuoso in addition to other Nigerian musicians. Together, they are bringing back traditional Nigerian sounds like juju, faaji and agidigbo.

Rain or shine, gates open at 6pm and the show starts at 7 pm.
And guess what? It’s FREE! (Though $3 donations are welcomed)

Deets:
Celebrate Brooklyn! @ The Prospect Park Bandshell
Location
9th Street & Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
CLICK HERE for more info.

Check out this video of Seun Kuti performing with Egypt 80 in Rio, below.

Video: Seun Kuti’s Rise + FREE mp3

Seun Anikulapo Kuti, the youngest of the Kuti clan, is poised to bring his ecstatic, urban influenced version of afrobeat to new generations with the release of From Africa With Fury: Rise. The album drops June 21st, and is produced by Brian Eno, among others, and backed by Egypt 80, the band first fronted by Fela himself. Seun (pronounced “shay-oun”) started his musical career at age nine by hyping his father’s audiences with renditions of Fela’s songs. With this history behind him, his shows today are masterfully crafted explosions of kinetic energy. It’s the next best thing to seeing Fela himself.

Check out the video for the first single “Rise” above starring Seun himself along with dancers from the cast of FELA! on Broadway. Then download it for FREE here (right click to save as an mp3).

To promote the album and take up where his father left off, Seun is embarking on a North American tour starting July 13. Check after the jump for tour dates.

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Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 Announce New Album: From Africa With Fury: Rise

Knitting Factory Records has just announced that Seun Anikulapo Kuti and Egypt 80 have teamed up again for a joint album, From Africa With Fury: Rise, set to come out on June 21st, 2011. This highly anticipated album follows Kuti’s critically acclaimed album Many Things, which dropped back in ’08. The new album, produced by Seun, along with Brian Eno and John Reynolds, is proof that Seun is following in the steps of his father, Fela, as the prince of afrobeat. Backed by Egypt 80, this album is definitely going to be a must have.  Be sure to check back with Okayafrica for a full interview with Seun, coming soon.

Audio: DJ Sakir, The Beat of Cocolah Vol. 4

We stumbled upon this nice little African podcast/mixtape by DJ Sakir, who’s holding it down in Brooklyn by way of Jamaica.  Created as a dedication to Africa, DJ Sakir partnered up with Cocolah to bring us full flavored mix, The Beat of Cocolah Vol. 4, including the sounds of afrobeat, afro rock, tribal house, and afro cuban music.  We liked. We think you will too.  Listen to one track off the mix, “Kwaku Ananse” by Apagya Show Band below, and then download the full mix here.  Tracklisting after the jump.

Kwaku Ananse

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