Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 June 11, 2009

As part of the Vivid Sydney festival, international world music performer Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 is performing soulful and contemporary interpretations of African music.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 is the second installment of Vivid Sydney at Riverside Theatres. Seun Kuti is the successor of his father, world music icon Fela Kuti’s band. A decade after his father’s death, Seun Kuti has earned himself a reputation as a great live performer and ensued that the super tight sounds of Afro-beat are heard by audiences today.

Though he plays homage to his father, Fela Kuti by playing a couple of his tunes, Seun Kuti’s album is resolutely his, emphasizing his own compositions and those of the band. Seun Kuti’s music is a delightful blend which includes funk, jazz and Nigerian sensibility similar to James Brown but grittier. Like Taha, behind the incredible force of the guitars, bass and ultra rhythmic guitar is a powerful jubilatory political voice born from the maladies that ravage contemporary Africa.

Seun Kuti’s self titled album was named by The Independent as one of the top 10 Best World Music Albums and “an outstanding slab of Nigerian funk” by Mojo. “All other dance music seems so desperately mechanical, static and dull when compared to Kuti’s.”

[Seun Kuti] evokes the presence of his father – not in an initiative way, but in possessing the spirit of the man, the wilderness and defiance and physical abandon
The Independent

Official Website: http://riversideparramatta.com.au