Femi Kuti

Femi Kuti
Femi Anikulapo Kuti is an award winning Nigerian musician, who is a songwriter, instrumentalist and a famous vocalist.

Early Life and Childhood
He is the eldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Born in London on 16 June 1962 , Femi Kuti grew up in the former Nigerian capital Lagos.

Like his father, Femi has shown a strong commitment to social and political causes throughout his career, but unlike his father he differs in his religious views. In 2001, Femi collaborated with a number of US musicians such as Common, Mos Def, and Jaguar Wright, on his Fight to Win album.

Start of Career
For many years, Femi Kuti was playing as part of his father's band before eventually rising to super stardom following his father's death in the late '90s. Femi practiced the same style of Afro-beat as his father, which helped him to introduce the percussive blend of jazz and funk music to the international masses dawn in the mid-'90s.

He inherited his father's sense of political activism. After his father's death in 1997, Femi suddenly found himself the subject of immense attention. He responded by signing with MCA and embarking on his solo career beginning with Shoki Shoki.

He won tremendous critical appreciation around the world and began concentrating his efforts to break into the U.S. mainstream in the very next year.

Second Album - Fight to Win
After an interval of a year, Femi marked his returned with his second album, Fight to Win, and toured the States to be part of a more mainstream audience. Fight to Win featured a number of respected rap artists like Mos Def and Common.

According to the expectations, the album was once again celebrated by the critics, though western masses seemed rather indifferent to both the album and Femi's combined concert with Jane's Addiction.

The album had Nigerian jazz-funk rhythms with a touch of hip-hop. Femi launched this album in alliance with American rappers such as Mos Def and Common, and soul singer Jaguar Wright. Together they created an album of universal critical acclaim.

Construction of a Shrine
After spending three years, between studio work and tours around the globe, Femi Kuti was desperately in search of change.

He finally discovered the roots of music and political movement, thus becoming unique symbol and only representative of both altogehter.

He decided to invest his success in the reconstruction of a new Shrine, a musical temple. Just like his father, Femi Kuti and his Positive Force continued to make of this place, the home of music.

2008 - Day by Day Album
Day by Day the title of the album by a Nigerian musician Femi Kuti which was launched in October 2008.