Carrying Forward the Revolution: Mádé Kuti on Art, Activism, and Authenticity

Authenticity has become a rare commodity in today's music industry, which makes Mádé Kuti's commitment to conscious artistry all the more striking. A saxophonist, producer, and heir to one of Africa's most revolutionary musical legacies, the grandson of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti and son of Femi Kuti has carved out his own distinctive path in the family tradition, one that honors the past while fearlessly confronting the present.

Fresh from the release of his deeply introspective 2025 album "Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?", Mádé Kuti continues to push the boundaries of what Afrobeat can be in the 21st century. Following singles like "Stand Tall" and "No More Wars," his latest work "I Won't Run Away" represents a deeply personal evolution in an artist who has never shied away from vulnerability or difficult questions.

We caught up with Mádé at Lagos's iconic New Afrika Shrine, the cultural institution that has been his second home for over two decades. Between rehearsals and the constant hum of creative energy that defines the space, he spoke candidly about inherited responsibility, the state of Nigerian music, and why authenticity remains the most radical act an artist can commit.

Deeds Magazine: Growing up in a family where music and activism are so deeply intertwined, when did you first realize that your own voice and artistry could carry the same power to inspire change that has defined the Kuti name? ‍

Mádé Kuti: I don't think I have the same power. I think that everybody holds an equal amount of power within their presence, their values, their morals, to contribute equally to the benefit of Africa and the benefit of the world in general.  

What made me want to chase conscious music, music that sought to inspire people to think similarly to the way we think in the family, which is pan-Africanist and very communal, was growing up and seeing my father perform. It's about the betterment of the people and the betterment of the world in general. Reading the kinds of books that he introduced me to also inspired me. Books like the autobiography of Malcolm X, The Black Man of the Nile and His Family, Stolen Legacy, all these books inspired me to be very conscious in the way I behave, my philosophy, my life, the way I act around my family, the way I want to raise my children. So yeah, I don't think I have the same power. I think everybody has their own standing in how they contribute to the world.

Deeds Magazine: You've been touring internationally and collaborating with artists from different genres. How has exposure to global music scenes influenced your approach to Afrobeat, and what do you think the genre needs to stay relevant for younger generations? 

Mádé Kuti: From touring and the kind of exposure that I've been blessed to have, I think what we can do as an industry in Nigeria is be very careful to procure more means for the average Nigerian musician. We need more venues, for example the only two places that come to mind are the New Afrika Shrine and Freedom Park. We don't have music-specific locations for musicians that play the sax, the guitar, or are in bands. We have so many underground musicians, and they don't have a lot of platforms to share their music and their talent.

I would put more into music education because when I'm on the road and something happens to my sax, it takes me ten minutes to find a sax repair shop to fix my sax or my trumpets. Here, the amount of technicians who can work on musical instruments is very limited. There should be facilities for people that are interested in these things to learn how to do this.

Above all, music education in schools should be taken more seriously. School treated music as if it was not even important. When I got to senior secondary school, it wasn't even an option. Me, basing my entire life on music, I couldn't learn anything about it in school. Every time they asked me to represent the school in competitions, I said no because they didn't teach me anything. I didn't want to use my skills to try to win something for a school that didn't invest in teaching me. It would be really nice if schools taught music with good musicians, because what tends to happen is they find the cheapest option, which steals a lot from children who may have a strong passion for music and might be innately talented. Because they didn't have the right guidance, they'll never discover it. We need better schools, performance venues, industry opportunities, and labels that want to sign musicians who play instruments.

Deeds Magazine: The music industry has changed dramatically with streaming and social media since your grandfather's era. How are you navigating these new platforms while maintaining the authenticity and political edge that defines the Kuti legacy?     Mádé Kuti: As technology advances, musicians have to adapt. With streaming, people have become very used to quick and instant gratification from the arts. They want to hear what they like as quickly as possible and get on to the next thing.

Because it's so accessible, the value of what they're purchasing is reduced, it's almost too accessible. With technology advancing, like now with AI, there's that AI band that has about five hundred thousand listeners per month. This is AI generated music from prompts, basically robotically inspired by other musicians.

It's a degree of theft, a degree of creative abuse, where people do not get the value they're supposed to. When art is diluted, when it's no longer about the human experience or the reality of true love, what the person is feeling at the time, or about activism, it becomes innately less authentic. We need to find a way to balance it. Art should be accessible, but it shouldn't be taken for granted. Art takes a lot of work, and it should be valued for what it brings to the table. Without art, there's no culture.

Deeds Magazine: You're known for your incredible saxophone skills and production work. Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you start with a political message, a musical idea, or does it vary from song to song?                                                      Mádé Kuti: I don't think it's a good thing for a musician to be too boastful because, like Miles Davis said later in his years, he learns every day. If Miles Davis is learning every day, who am I? There's a lot of work that goes into learning an instrument, and I think I get better every day, but I wouldn't say I'm the best or I'm fantastic.

As for how I start music, I start and prioritize the music because I feel that's where the true spirit of sound lies; in sound, in textures, in harmony and rhythm. Then I tend to work on lyrics after that because I want the message of what I write to match the quality of the music that I'm producing.

Deeds Magazine: Lagos has such a vibrant music scene right now with Afrobeats artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido dominating globally. How do you see traditional Afrobeat fitting into this new wave of African music taking over the world?              Mádé Kuti: Like in every other community and culture, there should be a balance between progressive and conservative, preserve the authenticity and originality of the genre, and create platforms and spaces to perform and generate income from it. For people who want to progress in a more commercial direction, there should be resources for that as well.

It's nice when there's balance, and I don't feel like there's balance right now in the Nigerian industry. The huge boom in the commercial sector is incomparable to the existence of incredible bands I know that are doing great music but don't get the audience or the opportunity to share their music because of PR and commercial constraints.

Deeds Magazine: Your family has always been outspoken about African unity and Pan-Africanism. With so much division happening globally right now, what role do you think African artists should play in promoting unity both within the continent and in the diaspora? 

‍Mádé Kuti: Musicians, artists, and creatives should be very intentional about whatever they produce because, consciously or subconsciously, people are influenced by what they consume; what they see, hear, smell, and, very importantly, what they listen to and repeat, sometimes without their own permission. You go into a space and you're hearing music from somewhere. If you're a creative, it's important to be intentional about your message. If it's about love and heartbreak, is it true or are you glorifying a non-existent or abusive relationship? If it's about money, is it true to financial stability and economic sense, or is it just about splurging and being a badass?

I write about the self: self-awareness, accountability, progress, development, things I believe should inspire anyone who listens to be a better person than they were yesterday. If everybody did that, the world would be a better place. If everybody is intentional about the kind of art they produce, society will function a lot more intelligently and intellectually. We are a very consumer based society. So people who have the opportunity to make something that didn't exist before should be very intentional about what they produce.

Deeds Magazine: Mental health isn't talked about enough in Nigerian society, especially for young people dealing with economic pressures and political frustration. Has music been a form of therapy for you, and do you think artists have a responsibility to address these issues?   

‍Mádé Kuti: Mental health not being addressed in Nigeria, in Africa is a huge issue, and I think that artists like myself try to do our best to contribute positively by the kind of art that we produce. I try to make sure my songs are directed to inspire people so they feel empowered to be the best versions of themselves. Despite a lot of challenges, what they might have to overcome, if we do it together and consciously, we can create a space and community and world that we can be proud of. The world is regressing with the amount of war and right-wing mentality that is coming around, and a lot of conservative, political, almost racist agendas that seem to be going on in the West. In Nigeria, we tend to fight for survival, and we don't address things that call to basic standards of living.

Life moves so fast, it's about how much money you can earn as quickly as possible to eat. You don't really have time to reflect and think, "Okay, I'm an African artist in Africa. What can I do as a person to inspire the youth that may come to see me?"  Whatever field you're in, if you're a doctor, are you a good doctor? Are you the best version of yourself? Can a young medical student look at your work and learn from it? We don't really get the opportunity to strive to be the best person. We're put in a very tough spot where we just try to survive. Mental health is a huge problem, a huge reality. Artists can contribute by producing works that are truly conscious and don't deprive people of pure inspiration. But it's really for the government to do the actual work investing in mental health, the arts, education, and infrastructure.

Deeds Magazine: You've performed at some incredible venues worldwide. What's been your most memorable performance so far, and how does the energy differ when you're playing for Nigerian audiences versus international crowds?                                      Mádé Kuti: Serbia with my dad, playing with a very large orchestral ensemble to about sixty thousand people, was incredible. I also did a gig in Italy with a forty-two-piece orchestra, which was fantastic. And Glastonbury with Coldplay was very nice. Those are my top three.

As for audiences: playing the Shrine and winning over that crowd prepared me for anything. If you can get Nigerians to clap for you, you can get the world to clap for you. It’s a tough space. Many people are hearing me for the first time, so we rehearse a lot and deliver every show like it’s the first. Nigerians are critical and proud; they’re not lenient about what they enjoy. Elsewhere, a good performance gets applause; when Nigerians applaud you, it's something special.

Deeds Magazine: The Shrine in Lagos is legendary, it's where your grandfather performed and where the family continues to hold court. What does that space mean to you personally, and how important is it to preserve these cultural institutions for future generations?                   

Mádé Kuti: The Shrine is where I grew up. But this Shrine is not where Fela performed. The one that Fela performed at wasn't owned by the family. This one that we have now was built in 2000. It's called the New Afrika Shrine. This is where my father and I have been performing for twenty-five years. I feel the Shrine might be the most important cultural space in all of Lagos, if not Nigeria, because it's the only institution that has maintained its very profound philosophy, which is pan-Africanist, about liberal thoughts, conscious thinking, and intellectual mindsets, about risk-taking, freedom of the arts, and freedom of the mind.

Mádé Kuti’s latest album poses a deceptively simple question—where does happiness come from? Yet the depth of inquiry it represents speaks to the philosophical foundation that has always distinguished the Kuti family's approach to music. Today, African music is experiencing unprecedented global recognition, Mádé's insistence on balance, authenticity, and intentionality offers a compelling counterpoint to the industry's commercial rush. Perhaps most significantly, Mádé embodies the evolution of African activism for a new generation. Where his grandfather's rebellion was often confrontational and explicitly political, Mádé's revolution is quieter but no less radical: the demand for genuine human connection in a digitized world, the call for mental health awareness in societies focused on survival, the insistence that artists bear responsibility for the consciousness they create.

The Shrine may have changed locations since Fela's time, but its philosophy remains intact, adapted and carried forward by an artist who understands that revolution, like happiness, must be continuously redefined and recommitted to and with each generation. In Mádé Kuti's hands, the family torch burns not with borrowed fire, but with a flame uniquely his own.

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