Deep Roots Legacy Sound, Aftobeat Music Genre Hits New Highs

Seun Kuti is the son of legendary Afrobeat inventor and founder, Fela Kuti. Fela created the sound in the late 60’s early 70’s, fused with American blues, jazz, and funk with traditional Yoruba music.

Fela Kuti was the son of a feminist and labor activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. As a child he took lessons in piano and percussion before studying (1959) classical music at Trinity College London. While in London, he discovered various musical styles by playing piano in jazz and rock bands. He returned to Nigeria in the mid-1960s, he reconciled with Koola Lobitos, a band with which he had played in London. The Afro-beat sound emerged from that group’s experiments.

During his 1969 tour of the United States, he was inspired by the politics of Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, and other militants. Shortly after Kuti’s music became increasingly politicized. He exhorted social change in such songs as “Zombie,” “Monkey Banana,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “Upside Down.” Fela (as he was popularly known) and his band, which was known variously as the Nigeria 70, Africa 70, and later the Egypt 80, performed for packed houses at the early-morning concerts that they staged at Fela’s often-raided nightclub in Lagos. He was a revolutionary in his own right with activism in his blood. Fela transitioned on to another spiritual existence in 1997 at the young age of 58.

Fast forward to 2026

Seun Kuti is carrying his father’s legacy forward with his own music with his father’s legendary band Egypt 80. The show we were invited to see in LA was electric and full of soul pounding beats. This show was one of only four shows in the US, what an experience. As if Seun’s energy and his band wasn’t pumped up enough, he had several guests come on stage to join him performing mesmerizing feats of rythums and melodies. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been making his rounds to join the jam with Erykah Badu at the Hollywood Bowl the week before this show with his latest songs that are on his solo instrumental album with his trumpet wizardry. Then a week later he’s on stage with Seun with his trumpet again. Seun enthusiastically stated at one point, “this is the African Flea with the trumpet, the US Flea plays the bass!” The entire night of music was full of energy like this. At one point Seun was playing multiple instruments, Sax, drums, keyboards; this guy is like the Nigerian version of Prince! ( I don’t think I need to explain that). Santigold came out towards the end of the show and she joined the band for some heavy pounding songs that her voice added a certain softness to. This show was certainly felt like a cultural class in Afrobeats and we loved it! Check out the photos below and also make sure to check out Seun Kuti on Spotify or where ever you get your music. Support great artists globally!

seun kuti