Seun Kuti, the Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer, recently opened up about the success of Egypt 80, the band he has led since his father’s passing.
In a candid interview with City 105.1 FM, Seun expressed pride in carrying on his late father Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s legacy, leading the band to even greater heights.
He boldly claimed that Egypt 80 is Africa’s most successful band, attributing this success to his role as frontman while sharing his thoughts on the music industry and the state of African award ceremonies.
Seun emphasized that he feels emboldened to speak his mind freely, unafraid of any backlash, as he believes his music is often overlooked by the media and award organizations in Africa.
Despite his Grammy nomination, Seun voiced disappointment that Egypt 80 has yet to receive recognition in Africa, highlighting the band’s impressive legacy as an African musical institution with an extensive discography of 54 albums.
Seun Kuti shares his hopes that the band will receive national recognition to showcase African musical achievements on a global platform.
Kuti said:
“I won’t stop speaking my mind because I’m no longer afraid of anything you’re going to do. What are you going to do? You’re not going to play my videos? Are you not already doing this? So what are you going to do?
“Even when I got nominated for the Grammys, no award organization in the whole of Africa nominated my band in any category, knowing fully well that no matter what anybody says about me, I, Seun, am the frontman for Africa’s most successful band. 54 albums. By the time I drop my next album, it will be 55 albums.
“The band that I lead is an African musical institution. If we knew what we were doing in Africa, it would go without saying that this band should be given some kind of national recognition to keep them in the forefront of the psyche of African people all over the world, to know that Africans can achieve institutions like this. But well, that is for an African who knows what he’s doing.”