Entertainment
Seun Kuti Lunches New Album, “Black Times”
Afrobeat artiste Seun Kuti is a maverick in the African music industry as he defiles any pigeon hole and continues to make his music that cuts across various age demographics and palates. Recently, the singer hosted friends, fans and members of the media to the listening of his new album titled ‘Black Times’ at the Fela Museum in Lagos.
Welcoming guests at the well-attended event Seun said, “Black Times is a true reflection of my political and social beliefs. It is also dear to my heart because for the first time ever, I wanted to own my masters, so I personally invested my funds in it, that gave me the opportunity to say the things I wanted to say.
The album which is the 35-year-old singer, band leader and musician’s 5th body of work was released under strut records and features a selected line up of stars including the Iconic quit artist, Carlos Santos, Yasim Bey (Formerly known as (Mos Def) and vocatist Nori Palm of future soul quartet, Hiatus Kaivote.
“More than ever, I am convinced of the mission and purpose of our music, here I’m giving honour to my parents and to every revolutionary who has made a difference many of them from before I was born. The ideas for Black Times were born as Seun Kuti and his bank, Egypt 80 travelled the world, but the writing which began in 2016 happened at home in Lagos”, he said.
He also stated, “I wrote this album from a place of calm and love, I was thinking what if Africa had a philosopher king who was also a musician, who loved “Alkebulan’ the ancient Kenetie name for the mother land with all his heart? What sort of album would he make? What would he tell his people today?
“Too many African rulers do not have the country’s best interest at heart, too many people in Africa and the west have sunk or are sinking into complacency. Black Times is an album for anybody who believes in change and understands the duty we have to rise up and come together, the system says we are different, but the struggle makes us one”, he continued.
Seun noted that Black Times is already getting rave reviews from the global music community and one of its leading tracks ‘struggle sounds’ was recently featured on DC entertainment and warner Bos Television’s Black Lightening’ distributed by the CW network and Netflix. It is also available for purchase in Nigeria courtesy of 5ive music group.
Seun Kuti is the youngest son of Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Seun is a global music figure who is famous for leading his father’s Egypt 80 band and is as inspired by greatness as his father ever was.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.
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