Made Kuti walks the path of grandfather, Fela
Rising Afrobeat musician, Omorinmade Kuti, popularly known as Made, has scooped his first award nomination at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).
The grandson of late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, announced his nomination on Monday.
Made Kuti noted that he was nominated in the Best artiste, duo, or group in the African jazz category.
READ ALSO: Femi Kuti is too sure about Made
The singer’s rave single, Free Your Mind, won him the nomination, which he says makes him feel honoured.
“Honored! You can vote for “Free Your Mind,” Made noted on his Instagram page.
Other nominees in the category are Nigeria’s Tomi Owo and Olu, South Africa’s Thandi Ntuli, Zoe Modiga, and Bokani Dyer, Cameroon’s Franck Biyong, Kenya’s Hornsphere, Mozambique’s Jimmy Dludlu.
Made Kuti, the first son of Femi Kuti and Funke Kuti, has been walking on a familiar and family path of music since he was young.
He was a member of his father’s Positive Force band for a while after he graduated from London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2018.
In 2020, Made Kuti formed his band, The Movement, and has since been performing and headlining some gigs, one of which held on Friday.
While celebrating his 53rd birthday in 2015, Made’s father, Femi, said he was sure his son would be a huge success in music.
The king of Afrobeat and four-time Grammy nominee was so sure about the path Made would take in his music career because of his upbringing and training.
Femi was emphatic that Made will never do hip-hop.
Although Femi had featured on one of Wizkid’s videos, he couldn’t visualise ‘my Made’ doing hip-hop even as he would not want to be a bossy father.
“I won’t stop him, but I can assure you and I am confident that he will not go there. The training he is getting will not allow him to go there. He has been classically trained; he is going to study jazz in life. He comes from the Fela line. He is playing Fela’s music today. He grew up playing in my band and understands what his father is doing,” Femi said.
Made Kuti who was then studying music in his grandfather’s alma mater in the United Kingdom, is very proficient on the piano, trumpet and some other musical instruments.