By Osagie Alonge
Nigerian Entertainment Today got talking with a shy Femi Kuti on his 49th birthday at the New Afrika Shrine. Femi who is currently on tour in Europe shed a little about his tour, his love for his home and why his son Made won’t be schooling in a Nigerian University…
You are 49 today, how do you feel celebrating yet another birthday?
I don’t feel the difference.
Not all? I mean you must have experienced one or two things through the last 365 days you know?
In that case it will be very difficult to tell you how I feel, if you ask me how I feel off the surface, I’ll tell you – I don’t feel special. If you ask me about the things I’ve done to reach where I am at 49, well you could say, some credit here, credit there but I will not assert my life right now.
When are you going on tour and where will you be touring?
In about four days I’ll be leaving the country for France and honestly I don’t know how many cities I’ll be touring because I don’t check my dates. For me these days, I just want to jump on the plane and get on the road and try to make every city a surprise.
Comparing your performances here at the New Afrika Shrine with your performances in foreign cities, what’s the difference and which do you prefer?
They are different because here is like the part where my music is being produced and made, and it’s home. It’s like this is the Space Station and from here I take my music round the world and there’s nowhere like home, there’s no where I’ve been like the Afrika shrine. I love everywhere but this is my home, this is my place. I can put my feet on the table, stretch but if I were somewhere else, I would have to be very obedient. This is our home.
I see you are holding trumpet, for how long have you been playing the trumpet?
10 years
In the space of one year, how much have you improved?
I’m quite impressed but I still give myself another four years.
If you master how to play the trumpet, will you pick up another instrument?
I doubt it. I think I have done quite enough; I play all the saxophones, trumpet, the keyboard. I play the drums, the guitars, not professionally though, dance, jump… (Laughs)
For how long will you be out of the country?
2 months
Will your son Made be joining you on tour?
Most likely not
But is there a possibility?
He won’t, he’s preparing to get into the university and right now he’s writing exams
Will he be schooling in Nigeria?
I doubt it. If he schools in Nigeria, with all the strikes in Nigerian university, he might not graduate till he is 50.
