Musician Femi Kuti talks about a couple of stand-out songs from his newest album, “Journey By Life.”
DON GONYEA, HOST:
The Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has a brand new album out. It is known as “Journey By Life.”
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “POLITICS DON EXPOSE THEM”)
GONYEA: The album attracts inspiration from jazz, funk and West African music, and it pays homage to the Afrobeat sound that Femi’s father, Fela Kuti, helped create within the Nineteen Sixties. Kuti spoke to us from his residence in Nigeria. We mentioned his inspiration for the album and requested him to explain a couple of standout tracks.
FEMI KUTI: I assumed it was essential. I talked about issues which have guided me by way of my life, so I got here up with the title “Journey By Life.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE”)
KUTI: (Singing) As you cross by way of your journey in life…
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS: (Singing) …Keep in mind it’s only for a time frame.
KUTI: (Singing) Do not maintain on to materials issues too tight.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS: (Singing) ‘Trigger you are going to must let go after some time.
KUTI: (Singing) Hold all your family members by your aspect.
It let me sing about virtues that I stand by and attempt to concentrate on to guide me in my life – household and tolerance and issues like this. So it was tips on how to put it in not too lengthy a tune, however catchy and significant.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE”)
KUTI: There’s one other monitor known as “Work On Myself.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WORK ON MYSELF”)
KUTI: (Singing) Perhaps we match no change the world. However we will change the world inside us. I will work on myself. And convey out the very, best possible.
And it is a abstract of my way of thinking, actually, right now, politically, socially. And since I can not decide up a gun or something to be violent – and I am actually annoyed with world politics, and generally you simply really feel helpless – so I used to be pondering to myself that perhaps the issue actually will not be making an attempt to alter the world however making an attempt to alter your self.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WORK ON MYSELF”)
KUTI: (Singing) Earlier than I believe, say the street to freedom dey close to, as many nice folks don waka this e waka. I believe say if I waka small, issues go higher, however now I see say the street to freedom dey far (ph).
One of the best ways to resolve quite a lot of points is for one to look inwards, develop your self bodily, spiritually, mentally, ‘trigger on the finish of the day, you might be accountable to this – if there’s life after demise, in fact.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WORK ON MYSELF”)
KUTI: (Singing) Sure, I will work on myself. Sure, I will work on myself. Sure, I will work on myself.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: “After 24 Years” is – effectively, it is one of many favorites to play proper now on the Shrine. It was – it is form of gradual, and, once more, it is a abstract of the political state of affairs in Nigeria that – it is actually addressing the state of affairs however pinpoint in time. This now focuses on time.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: (Singing) Twenty-four years on, our authorities by no means carry out. Dem simply dey authorities dey chop. From 1999, with dey discuss. They didn’t restore our refineries. They faux with their rivalries. They sit down collectively, they take pleasure in whereas the nation, they destroy. Eleven thousand…
All the things’s form of gradual, however you may have a really melodious horn line (vocalizing).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: (Singing) These politicians…
It is a very form of sing-along – music like this, I like, as a result of if you sing about one thing very arduous, this candy, melodious horn line catches the listener to need to hear. It is crucial to seek out very candy melody, so consciously or subconsciously, the listener will hear the message.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: (Singing) Them don bastardize the economic system. Abi oh, oh, oh.
GONYEA: That was musician Femi Kuti. His newest album, “Journey By Life,” is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts could range. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.
