HYNES: Is it difficult for you to talk about your father?
KUTI: I have no problem with people asking about my father. I love him very much; he was like a god to me. Even when he did not do the right things for me, I could understand. I would not even say that he is dead, because I feel I can communicate with him. African life is about spiritualism, so death is not a problem for the African. He’s not dead; he’s very much alive.
Your father was famous for popularizing Afrobeat, and your band is described as an Afrobeat band. What lies at the heart of its sound?
Rhythm is the basis of the Afrobeat. Not the rhythm of a particular region, but the African approach to rhythm. Afrobeat has two percussion players that keep the beat all the time, creating a pulse. But inside that you find many rhythms. It is the beauty of the interwovenness of the rhythm that fascinates the African; it’s that complexity that attracts the African mind, because he asks, “What’s going on?” That’s Afrobeat.
Your lyrics are often quite critical of African governments.
What are they doing to contribute positively to the world today? Absolutely nothing. African governments are known for their corruption and everything negative. There is not one single African country where the people will tell you, “I’m happy today.” It’s the richest land and the poorest people, and that’s what MASS is about. We started MASS to try and make the youth of Africa more aware and active. African youth are highly brainwashed; if we do not start to do something about it, soon we’re not going to want to believe in our traditions, accept our heritage or be African. We’re going to want to be like Europeans and Americans: our education is about being American, and our TV is about being European. Everything is about the West. Nothing is about Africa.
What are the particular challenges facing Nigeria?
We’re accepting anything that the Americans or Europeans throw at us. So they say, “Practice democracy; if you do not, we will have nothing to do with you.” And we just accept it. But democracy is a form of ideology for the West. Africans need their own form of ideology. Democracy is not going to solve Africa’s problem. Every year we go to the elections, and nothing comes of it. The people do not feel part of something. They do not believe in themselves and the system and the country. We need to be ourselves, and not simply accept whatever Americans or Europeans do.
How does your music contribute to this?
My music is about raising questions and finding solutions. I want to sing about the solutions, not just the problems; I want to pass on ideas about what African governments or people should do to solve the problems. I do this not just through music but by going to lectures and seminars, around Nigeria and anywhere I have to go to pass on this message.
In May, Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated as Nigeria’s first democratically elected president. How do you feel about his election?
They say the experience has changed him. I’m waiting to see that miracle. I don’t mind that he’s president, as long as he does the right thing–provide food, hospitals, roads. If we want water, he must supply water. I want to be optimistic. There is no reason for this government to fail; if they do, it shows that they never intended to succeed. It was just another way of keeping the people a bit satisfied and getting on with the stealing and corruption of past governments, including Obasanjo’s previous government [1976-1979]. By the end of this year, if we do not see serious changes in Nigeria, we should not waste time in opposing the government. I’m going to be very outspoken about what I see.
