Musician Femi Kuti talks about a couple of stand-out songs from his newest album, “Journey By way of Life.”
DON GONYEA, HOST:
The Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has a brand new album out. It is referred to as “Journey By way of 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 Sixties. Kuti spoke to us from his house in Nigeria. We mentioned his inspiration for the album and requested him to explain a couple of standout tracks.
FEMI KUTI: I believed it was essential. I talked about issues which have guided me by my life, so I got here up with the title “Journey By way of Life.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE”)
KUTI: (Singing) As you cross by your journey in life…
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS: (Singing) …Bear 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 need to let go after some time.
KUTI: (Singing) Hold your whole family members by your facet.
It let me sing about virtues that I stand by and attempt to concentrate on to steer 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 track, however catchy and significant.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE”)
KUTI: There’s one other monitor referred to 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’ll work on myself. And convey out the very, perfect.
And it is a abstract of my mind-set, actually, at the moment, politically, socially. And since I can not decide up a gun or something to be violent – and I am actually annoyed with international politics, and typically you simply really feel helpless – so I used to be considering to myself that possibly the issue actually shouldn’t be attempting to alter the world however attempting to alter your self.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WORK ON MYSELF”)
KUTI: (Singing) Earlier than I feel, say the highway to freedom dey close to, as many nice folks don waka this e waka. I feel say if I waka small, issues go higher, however now I see say the highway to freedom dey far (ph).
The easiest way to resolve a number 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 dying, in fact.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WORK ON MYSELF”)
KUTI: (Singing) Sure, I’ll work on myself. Sure, I’ll work on myself. Sure, I’ll work on myself.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: “After 24 Years” is – properly, it is one of many favorites to play proper now on the Shrine. It was – it is type of sluggish, and, once more, it is a abstract of the political scenario in Nigeria that – it is actually addressing the scenario 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 did not 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 type of sluggish, however you could have a really melodious horn line (vocalizing).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
KUTI: (Singing) These politicians…
It is a very type of sing-along – music like this, I like, as a result of while you sing about one thing very laborious, this candy, melodious horn line catches the listener to wish to pay attention. 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 way of Life,” is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEMI KUTI SONG, “AFTER 24 YEARS”)
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