Mádé Kuti – son of world-renowned Afrobeat ambassador Femi Kuti, and grandson of the legendary originator of the genre, Fela Kuti – has shared impeccably groovy and soulful new track “No More Wars” (via Partisan Records).
The song is the first in a series of singles Mádé will be releasing before the end of this year, and follows his Grammy-nominated 2021 two-album package ‘Legacy +’ which he released with his father. “No More Wars” was composed, arranged, and written by Mádé, it was co-produced by Grammy-nominated Quddus “GMK” King (Burna Boy) as well as Sodi Marciszewer, who recorded, mixed or produced Fela’s last six albums. Listen below and feel free to share:
Talking about the song, Mádé explains: “‘No More Wars’ is entirely about temper, control, and focus. It’s about experiences I’ve had that taught me to reflect intentionally before I react. The lyrics are inspired by my father’s consistency in following his path despite dealing with an overwhelming amount of harsh, untrue, and deliberately cruel people inside and outside of his circle.”
Mádé grew up in the legendary New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, and spent much of his childhood touring with his father, playing bass or saxophone in Positive Force. Unlike his father, who didn’t formally study music, Mádé went to the famed Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London (the same place Fela studied, back when it was known simply as Trinity College), where he shared a musical environment with some of the most talented and disciplined musicians up-and-coming acts from the city’s underground scene.
Mádé’s 2021 debut album ‘For(e)ward’ was part of a special two-album package released with his father Femi entitled ‘Legacy +’. ‘For(e)ward’ is a modern and progressive freedom manifesto, pushing the boundaries of Afrobeat; Mádé performs every instrument on the album. The project was met with rave reviews and a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album, as Femi and Mádé proudly carry on Fela Kuti’s legacy as torchbearers for change.
Listen/buy ‘Legacy +’ here: https://legacyplus.lnk.to/kuti
Praise for Mádé + ‘Legacy +’:
“Mádé Kuti is a one-man studio band…[he] merges the slow-simmering rhythm and implacable horn riffs of vintage Afrobeat with a looping, prismatic, multilayered production, doubling back toward psychedelia.” – New York Times
“Giddy and transcendent” – Paste
“With one listen through ‘Legacy +,’ it’s clear that the late Fela Kuti’s musical family tree remains both strong and fruitful.” – American Songwriter
“A fresh take on the Afrobeat sound that Fela pioneered in the 1970s and ’80s. Mádé carries the torch for his family’s Black consciousness and activist politics.” – SPIN
“Throws Afrobeat to the future” – The Observer
“The dynasty continues” – Uncut (8/10)
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