Seun Kuti goes on Afrobeat binge at the Shrine

The Shrine was agog as usual, filled with people from all walks of life, eager to see the bandleader of Egypt 80 perform. Various artists took to the stage from about 10pm, showing off their different styles of music at a venue that is never short of musical talent. The performers thrilled the audience with reggae, dancehall, hip hop and spoken word.

Seun Kuti got on stage exactly at midnight to the delight of screaming fans, opening with one of his father’s tunes, ‘Everything Scatter’, bringing to mind the original Afrika Shrine, with the young maestro twisting, squatting and turning just like Fela in his heyday. Seun's stage craftsmanship is remarkable; he is accompanied by a group of loyal musicians, including the rocky looking Okon Iyamba on the shekere, who is always by his side. Their singing, leaping and swagger are absolutely unforgettable.

Seun and his brother Femi Kuti are some of the busiest artists in Africa. They tour all year round, and seeing Seun Kuti perform at the Shrine is nothing short of amazing, especially since this was unimaginable until a few years ago due to a now resolved family disagreement. Seun usually plays at the Shrine on the last Saturday of every month; what made this show special was that it was his first of the year at the famed venue.

With Sundays, when the crowd dissipates early ahead of the working week ahead, reserved for Femi and his band, and all-night parties a thing of the past when Fela was active, Seun's performance on Saturday presented an Afrobeat binge for the Lagos crowd.  

The Grammy Award nominee performed Fela tracks such as ‘Big Blind Country’, ‘Army Arrangement’ and many more, juxtaposing them with his own songs, ‘Bad Man Lighter’, ‘Black Times’ and ‘Theory of Goat and Yam’.

The dancefloor was packed with fans dancing away in the Lagos heat – high energy and gyration abound. Afrobeat has come of age and continues to blossom thanks to the direct ‘students’ of Fela, a crop of artists including Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Dele Sosimi, Showboy and Dede Mabiaku, who are flying the Afrobeat flag so high it almost feels like Fela is about to be resurrected.