Seun Anikilapo-Kuti performed at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre on Saturday, April 15, bringing his Egypt 80 energy and fusing his contagious Afrobeat with his no-holds-barred politics, demanding activism, and global cry for social justice.
Seun, the youngest son of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, performed with his Egypt 80 band and, like his father did three decades earlier, filled the air in Harlem with their soul-stirring musical spirituality. Acoustically, with “Love and Revolution” he took over the place. Fans of “Political Statement Number 1” were similarly interested in learning and listening as they were in the melodic, empowering “Top, Top, Top -People Over Things.”
Despite a few technological issues, the band was tight and neither focus nor flow were disrupted. The gorgeously loud and intricately varied horns, drums, bass, and guitar were in perfect harmony with the maestro Kuti, the supporting singers and dancers, and each other. The flawless keyboards and saxophone playing of Seun energised the already anxiously anticipating sold-out audience.
The very diverse crowd was more reserved than some of the previous New York City crowds, which had all but swarmed the stage once Kuti’s well-known beats started to play through the sound system.
Kuti addressed a variety of topics while delving deeply into the musical roots of his music, including the recent elections in Nigeria, the strength and beauty of the “Black Woman,” and what manhood should include in terms of defence and construction. Kuti was clearly having fun as he did this.
Seun reintroduced himself as Pro-Tem Chairman of his father Fela’s updated Movement of the People and launched into his thought-provoking catalogue while explaining how his decision to become a musician was made 30 years ago when he and his father Fela visited the Apollo. This completes the circle.
The Movement of the People’s Pro-Tem Chairman continued Fela Kuti’s rhetoric of outspoken political opposition to the ruling class with his “People Over Things” ideology railing against “capitalistic tyranny.”With his forever ode to the Black woman, Kuti spoke of ego-driven manhood gone awry, telling his Apollo audience, “This is the power we are losing, by trying to show that we are strong by beating on the weak…to accumulate as much material things as possible.”
“This concept of masculinity is very dangerous..so we must recalibrate our thinking. We must reengage in protection,” he said between songs.
“Our strength is not for oppression as African men. It is to protect …the true strength of humanity, the African woman. And anything you are doing other than that, you are not masculine…this is the real copping out, where we are afraid to protect, to build, to envision, to be sovereign.”
