Legendary activist and Afrobeat originator, Fela Kuti, used his music to lament social injustices and political corruption in his native Nigeria. Fela’s legacy spans decades and genres, touching on jazz, pop, funk, hip-hop, rock, and beyond. While this impact can be felt in Nigeria and the entire world, it also greatly affected Fela’s son Femi and his grandson Made, both of whom carry his legacy as torchbearers for change.
Legacy + comprises Femi's Stop The Hate and Made's For(e)ward. Both albums that make up Legacy + are steeped in the tradition of Afrobeat invented by Fela, but each also offers their own unique vision. Femi’s Stop The Hate honours Fela in a traditionally fun, sharply political, and affirming way. Meanwhile Made’s For(e)ward is a modern and progressive freedom manifesto, pushing boundaries of the subgenre even further. Amazingly, Made also performs every instrument on his album.
Of the release Femi says:
"I am very excited and happy because as a father I get to perform with my son on my album again, and I get to see him compose, arrange, and play all instruments on his own album. Most importantly, we get to release this project together. It is spiritually soothing and comforting to witness this chapter in my life."
And Made:
"I truly believe that once in a while we are fortunate enough to write stories for ourselves that we can look back on much later in our lives. This has been one of the greatest positive highlights of my life so far, both musically and transcendently. I’ve learnt so much from my father politically, socially, philosophically and musically that I know this lovely project is only the beginning of more beautiful things to come."
Listen to a 2019 interview with Femi and Made Kuti with Stani Goma on PBS in full:
Legacy + is out now via Partisan Records and Liberator Music.
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