He plays most of the instruments himself. Made Kuti, the son of Femi Kuti and grandson of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, belongs to the third generation of a family that created and carried Afrobeat. His debut album, released in 2021, earned a Grammy nomination and showed that the Kuti sound was still evolving.
Family and training
Made was born in 1995 in Lagos, the son of Femi Kuti, a leading Afrobeat musician, and grandson of Fela, the founder of Afrobeat. His uncle is Seun Kuti. He studied music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, learning classical and jazz techniques alongside his family’s tradition. Made plays saxophone, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums and other instruments. On his debut, he played most of the parts.
Legacy+, the Grammy and the Shrine
In 2021, he and Femi released Legacy+, a double album combining Femi’s Stop the Hate and Made’s For(e)ward. Legacy+ was nominated for Best Global Music Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Like his grandfather and father, Made’s songs address corruption, inequality and social justice in Nigeria. He has performed regularly at the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, the venue run by the Kuti family.
He played with his father’s band, Positive Force, before stepping out on his own.
Felabration and his sound
Made performs at Felabration, the annual festival celebrating Fela’s life. Critics see him as one of the most promising young Afrobeat musicians. Made’s music keeps the horns, long grooves and political lyrics of Afrobeat, but adds jazz harmonies and modern production. Critics praised his musicianship and his willingness to experiment. The Kuti family has shaped Nigerian music and politics for generations. Fela’s mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a leading campaigner for women’s rights.
Made has performed at festivals in Europe and Africa, often leading a large band.
Lagos roots and reviews
Despite studying in London, Made remains rooted in Lagos, where the Shrine and the family’s community are based. International music critics praised For(e)ward for its ambition and for the way it respected Afrobeat while pushing it in new directions. Many saw the joint release with his father as a symbolic handing over of the family tradition.
Fela created Afrobeat, and Femi kept it alive. Made Kuti is now showing that a family sound can keep growing in a third generation.
