Because The Kutis Made My Xmas Eve….

By Akowe Lanre Arogundade

It is a joyful Christmas day, made especially so upon reflecting on the privilege of witnessing the fourth and fifth generation Kutis’ titillating Afrobeat jam at the Afrika Shrine, Ikeja. Unlike the previous experience late last year at the Lagoon front, this was their own show, at their own Shrine.

Made and his The Movement band opened the main show on an electrifying note as he brought the full effect of his background in classical music to bear on his pulsating afro beat rhythms. I see the future of Afro beat in him. He is Femi’s son, grandson of Fela (two numbers of whom he rendered), great grandson of Fela’s father, Rev. Ransome Kuti, a music teacher and great, great grandson of Rev. Josiah Kuti, the composer reputed to be the first Nigerian to release a record and the great translator of English Christian hymns to Yoruba. If you ever sang or listened to the Christian religion lyrics, “Eje komode koo wa o, ejekomode o wa; jojolo, omode jojolo ohun lore eledumare, e je komode o wa” (Let the children come; let them come; tenderly, the tender kids are the friends of God, let them come), then you know Josiah Kuti.

Starting with Fela. his father’s ‘Coffin for Head of State’, Seun with his Egypt 80 band, offered a pulsating performance during which his dexterity on the piano and the sax came to full effect as he also delivered two or three of his own composition. Added menu was his well choreographed body wriggling dances with his dancers and singers. Trust him to pulse to thrust some yabis: “I don’t care what your husbands, wives, girlfriends, etc, think about me. All I know is that you Lagos people here that have come to watch us are the best people in the world”. Seun, grandson of Rev. Ransome Kuti and great grandson of Rev Josiah Kuti defines the enduring legacy of Fela’s afrobeat. He offers a good compass to the future of afrobeat.

Akowe Lanre Arogundade

Femi made a kingly entry with his Positive Force band wasting no time in frenzying the crowd with his popular numbers, choosing to kick-start with “Sorry, sorry oooo”. Alternating as he regularly does, between the piano and his famous tenor sax, Femi thrilled energetically. He brings to memory, a newspaper headline after Fela, his father, had performed along other popular artists in the 1992 edition of ‘Lekki Sunsplash’ a festive beach-side musical celebration created by Dapo Adelegan a great music promoter and the one we called SKINDY, way back then at the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo (FSASON). That headline read: “At 54, Fela leads, others follow”. With what transpired yesterday, we can borrow from that headline and say: “At 61, Femi leads, others follow”. If you are looking for evidence of a music DNA in the gene of the Kutis, Femi, grandson of Rev. Ransome Kuti and Olufunmilayo Kuti, and great grandson of Rev Josiah Kuti is picture perfect.

Yet, it was not an all-boy affair. Femi paused to pay tribute to Yeni Kuti – YK power – for her exemplenary leadership, which has fostered peace and unity in the Fela clan. Then he beckoned to Seun and Made for a joint rendition of Fela’s “Water no get enemy”. Backstage, the Kutis bonded further with admirable banters, having done what their music playing forebears, Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti Kuti, Oludotun Isreal Ransome-Kuti and Olufela Anikulapo-Kuti, probably never did – mount same stage and jam together.

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