Since then, he has led Egypt 80 as lead vocalist and saxophonist, the focal point of a band that his father had forged into one of Africa’s most legendary ensembles. While Seun is the front man, a star in his own right who is routinely recognized by fans on the streets of Lagos, in many ways Egypt 80 is still his father’s band. In performance, Seun comes across as a perfect stand-in for his famous Father but also stays very personal. His singing voice is deep like Fela’s, and his alto saxophone hits the lines and hooks his father composed with the same muscular style, although he tries to bring his own flavor to the obligatory solos on saxophone and synthesizer. And like Fela, on stage Seun lives up to a reputation as a sex symbol, shimmying, winding his hips and often discarding his shirt, to the delight of lady fans.
Fela’s Afrobeat was a pungent blend of funk and jazz with an African sensibility, reminiscent of James Brown but grittier, nastier and vaguely unsettling, like fermenting fruit. With Seun, Egypt 80 is as explosive as they were under Fela, combining horns, keyboards, percussion, guitars and vocals in a sophisticated and overpowering blend that is always insistent. In the 70s the band performed almost nightly at The Shrine, a club Fela established, but these days they rehearse once a week and play three or four times a month at various venues around Lagos, sometimes in huge stadiums alongside other artists. The band also tours regularly in Europe, they already hit France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Belgium, but also South Africa, Ghana…
Seun was literally born to do this, and seems unconcerned by the constant comparisons to his father. For Seun, taking up where his father left off is about building on Fela’s legacy, not trying to escape it. He wrote a song on Malaria disease for a festival in Dakar where he jammed with Manu Dibango and Tony Allen for the BBC film « Africa Live : the RollBack Malaria concert» sponsored by the UN fundation that has been bradcasted around the whole world.
"If I’m in my father’s shadow then it doesn’t trouble me to be," he says. "If that’s all I can get, it’s a very good place to be. He was a very great man." He pauses. "But of course every artist wants to define themselves." Seun says he and his father were close, and Fela’s death at the age of 58 hit the teenager hard. Fela had other children by other women, but took a special interest in Seun, who is one of only two sons to follow their father into a career in music. But having inherited the leadership of Fela’s band, Seun can be more selective about what else he chooses to take from the example of Fela’s life. In artistic terms he is also determined to chart his own course. Seun has just finished to record two original tracks, « Think Africa » and Fire Dance » to be soon released in Vynil 12 inches and on I Tunes in order to innovate his own style. Seun also wants to update his father’s political message.
He heartily endorses Fela’s politics ("He wasn’t afraid," Seun says proudly) and relishes the fact that many of the songs he performs pillory by name Nigeria’s current president, Olusegun Obasanjo (who was also head of state in the mid-1970s when Fela recorded some of his most biting broadsides, including a track blaming Obasanjo for his mother’s death in an infamous army raid on Fela’s Kalakuta compound). But right now Seun seems unlikely to form a political party, as his father did in the late 70s. And Seun hopes to offer his listeners a slightly different message from his father’s. "I want to make Afrobeat for my generation. Instead of ‘get up and fight,’ it’s going to be ‘get up and think,’" he says. Seun once said "I have to play my father’s songs until I’m ready." With an album of his own creations in the works, presumably he’s finally set to stake his own musical claim instead of trading on his father’s name. In so doing, perhaps he can muster the kind of iconic voice and presence that made Fela one of his generation’s most politically influential cultural artists. It’s already clear that Seun’s name and music resonate with a new generation of Nigerians, many of whom are too young to remember his father’s heyday. No, it can’t be easy to be a leader to the teeming, aggressive and often undisciplined legions of Nigeria’s youth. But maybe Seun Kuti is one man for the job. Seun Kuti just like his father, the late Fela Kuti , represents a minority of thinkers. Those who choose to question the ruling bodies, those who strive for quality of life and those who are not afraid to shine a light on the corruption that sprawls behind closed government doors. He represents a generation who act upon these thoughts and voice the truth. He does so without weapons, brutality and political agendas. He does so through music. And that music is Afrobeat. A fusion of big band jazz, funk, and traditional African sounds. Fela left behind two things he treasured most. Afrobeat: the musical style he pioneered and his band, Egypt 80. Seun chose to continue the legacy of his father by taking on the band, in partnership with its longstanding bandleader, Baba Ani. With Seun deemed lead singer, the band is a twenty-piece power house. Much of the magic of their live shows derives from the energetic exchange between musicians and dancers. It is hard to imagine that the leader, able to emulate his father’s songs and style with such grace, is a mere 24 years old and his sister, Motunrayo Kuti, still one of the most vibrant dancers on stage. Bearing his Dad’s looks, Seun is a great saxophonist, an activist and groovewriter. He promises a serious funk mix of new album material and Fela classics which won’t let you stand still. The band is a power-house of explosive dance grooves, the hookiest basslines, big spectacle and politicised energy. Much of the magic of their live shows derives from the energetic exchange between at least 18 musicians and dancers. It's a full-on, funk-happy sound that'll take you to the edge and back...
http://www.myspace.com/seunkuti
Think Afrika
Seun Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(I get my own, you get your own, no take your own, come spoil my own)
I get waka, you get your waka, no take your own, come spoil my own
(I get my own, you get your own, no take your own, come spoil my own)
I get my life, you get your life, no take your own, come spoil my own
(I get my own, you get your own, no take your own, come spoil my own)
Ha ra ra ra
Ha ra ra ra
Every blackman gets him problem
Some small one some big problem
Then him siddon him begin to think the problem
Think of the way him go solve the problem
All the different different type of problem
And the different different ways to solve them
We get problem for house
We get problem for road
We get problem for work
We get problem for school
We get ethnic problems
We get government problems
Even to waka for road
Why na so, so problems here
Na so, so suffer here
Na so, so problems here
I go tell you now (Tell me now)
I go tell you now (Tell me now)
Our leaders no think of us (Tell me now)
Them only think of themselves (Tell me now)
Dey watch us dey kill ourselves (Tell me now)
Different different war (Tell me now)
Our children dey fight too (Tell me now)
Them go dey fight over money (Tell me now)
Yab themselves over money (Tell me now)
Stealing from the people (Tell me now)
Selling our future away (Tell me now)
Look where them put us (Look where we dey)
Looku looku where we (Look where we dey)
We no go anywhere (Look where we dey)
We no go anywhere (Look where we dey)
We no go anywhere (Look where we dey)
We no go anywhere (Look where we dey)
Back, back, back, back, back, back, back (Look where we dey)
The lyrics to Seun Kuti & Egypt 80’s “Think Afrika” speak to the idea that each person should focus on themselves and their individual problems instead of taking on the problems of others. The repetition of “I get my own, you get your own, no take your own, come spoil my own” brings this message home. The song also touches on the various problems that Black people face, including household, road, government, and ethnic problems. Instead of just sitting and thinking about the problems, the singer suggests solutions, such as fighting for our future and not allowing ourselves to be divided by money and ethnic differences.
The chorus, “Look where we dey” is a call to attention to the situation Black people find themselves in, and the need for change. It’s a recognition of the struggles Black people face, but also a call to action to think of solutions and make changes rather than just becoming complacent with the issues.
The song is a powerful message to all Black people to take control of their own lives and fight for change, rather than just accepting the status quo. It’s a call for unity and the recognition that we are all interconnected and can work together to make a better future for ourselves and future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
I get my own, you get your own, no take your own, come spoil my own
We both have what belongs to us, so you should leave mine alone and concentrate on yours.
I get waka, you get your waka, no take your own, come spoil my own
We both have our own lives to live, so you should focus on living yours and not meddle with mine.
I get my life, you get your life, no take your own, come spoil my own
We both have our own individual lives, so you should not interfere with mine even as I won't with yours.
Every blackman gets him problem, Some small one some big problem, Then him siddon him begin to think the problem, Think of the way him go solve the problem
Every black person faces various challenges in life, big or small, and often sit down to ponder on how to overcome them.
All the different different type of problem, And the different different ways to solve them
There are various categories of problems that people face, and each one requires a different solution approach for resolution.
We get problem for house, We get problem for road, We get problem for work, We get problem for school, We get ethnic problems, We get government problems, Even to waka for road
We face challenges in various areas of our lives, such as home, work, school, transportation, and even related to ethnicity and government issues.
Why na so, so problems here, Na so, so suffer here
Why is it that we only seem to have problems and suffering all around us?
Our leaders no think of us (Tell me now), Them only think of themselves (Tell me now), Dey watch us dey kill ourselves (Tell me now)
Our leaders are selfish and do not care about us as they focus only on their interests without intervening to repair the harm inflicted upon us by ourselves.
Different different war (Tell me now), Our children dey fight too (Tell me now), Them go dey fight over money (Tell me now), Yab themselves over money (Tell me now), Stealing from the people (Tell me now), Selling our future away (Tell me now)
Different kinds of conflicts, including among our children, arise from fighting over money and expose our weaknesses to predators who steal from us or trade our future for their gain.
Look where them put us (Look where we dey), Looku looku where we (Look where we dey), We no go anywhere (Look where we dey), We no go anywhere (Look where we dey), We no go anywhere (Look where we dey), Back, back, back, back, back, back, back (Look where we dey)
We should realize where we are in life and that we are not going anywhere unless we do something about it; we must push back against the odds to escape our circumstances.
Lyrics © LILI LOUISE MUSIQUE
Written by: KUTI OLUWASEUN ANIKULAPO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amanda Shevchenko
Thank u baba
Wedonblow Tv
Yes boss
Osasco
Spit fire,🔥🔥🔥
Joy Balonda
You😂🫱🏽🫲🏾, smart man
Kadaura Thaddeus
Yes oooo..human right first man in MAMA AFRICA. THANKS BIG BIRD
Oriwoh Blessing
❤️❤️
Laura Solomon
✊🏾❤️✊🏾
dolphins vibe#swag
Ancestors are our gods and the path to enlightenment lies in developing our own African time.But we to de follow oyibo.na wa o