Femi Kuti @ Irving Plaza in NYC - pics

photos by Jen Mazer

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here’s some of that lost material.

ModernGhana: Afrobeat musician, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti speaks with ADEOLA BALOGUN about his recent nomination for a Grammy and sundry issues. How does it feel like to be nominated in the Grammy awards?

Femi: I am so glad. It shows that I have been working very hard outside Nigeria. The fact that the Nigerian music industry has failed me does not mean that the rest of the world has done the same thing. I signed a contract six months ago for the same album to be released here in Nigeria, but the records company has not released it. It is the problem that I have been having in my career. It shows that the music industry in Nigeria still has a very long way to go.

When do you think the company will release your album?

Femi: I do not know. The album was released in America in January. It was released in Europe in November last year and the rest of the world has been dancing to it. The Grammy is not about Nigeria. It is an American award. So it is the American establishment that is nominating me for the award.

Femi Kuti played a show at Irving Plaza in NYC on June 4th. Some more pictures from that show below…