Femi Kuti Celebrates 4th Grammy Award Nomination
Funke and Femi-Kuti with son Made
Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti got his 4th Grammy Award
nomination recently and one would think this shouldn’t make any sense to
the eclectic singer especially because bringing home the diadem is
still a fantasy. He was honoured in Lagos at the Encomium White Gig last
Sunday as the edition of the show was commemorative of his 4th Grammy
award nomination. Non-compliant Femi stormed the show in a bus and was
draped in adire as against the ‘all-white’ dress colour code. His entry
motioned most eyes to his direction particularly because he flouted the
rule which his sister, Yeni complied with. He was ushered to the stage
where he recounted what the most prestigious music award nomination
means to him.
He told the cheerful audience he was excited when the nomination came
in his favour again because the number which previously was pruned to
five from thousands of entries, was reduced to four, yet he made it.
He’s however hopeful he’d bring home the diadem this time around. During
the show, he spoke about Fela’s incredible apathy to his dream of
becoming an Afrobeat star. “For six years, Fela and I were not talking
because he refused to teach me music yet he had the best qualification
to do so. Every time I went to him, he would say, don’t worry, I’m not
teaching you music, but you will know music and you will be great. And
so when I made my first hit album, after many people told me I was
better as a fisherman, Fela said, ‘I no tell you sey you go become
great?’
Interestingly so, in 2013, Made, Femi’s 17-year-old first son got
admission to study music at the Trinity College of Music, the same
school where his grand dad honed his skills.
This development gladdens Femi enough for him to make a prophetic
statement: “Made is better than me” despite his experience on the beat.
Femi also employed the medium to reiterate his support for new
generation of singers. “Wizkid was surprised when I joined him in the
studio to do the Jaiyejaiye song. And I didn’t charge him a Kobo. How
will I be asking for money from a generation I should support
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