Ready the throne, because Afrobeat royalty is in the building. Seun Kuti, son of Fela, has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of Fela's former band Egypt 80.
More: My Lady’s Frustration: How Fela Kuti Found Afrobeat in LA (KCRW’s Lost Notes, 2024)
In the midst of touring North America behind their 2024 album, Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head) and almost directly in the mid point between their Coachella Friday sets (4:05 p.m. at the Outdoor Theatre) — Kuti swings by MBE to chat about music as resilience (and resistance) and to share five songs that inspired him during the recording process for the new(ish) record.
Seun Kuti’s KCRW Guest Selects:
“I Belong to You” – Lenny Kravitz
“Get Lit (Feat. George Clinton & D Smoke)” – Kamasi Washington
“Everything Scatter” – Fela Kuti
“A Change Is Gonna Come” – Sam Cooke
“Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers