It’s apt that for a release that is Femi Kuti‘s most personal to date, looking as much inward at his life as he does outward at the issues of corruption and disharmony in the world, Journey Through Life is as vibrant and lively as someone could ask for. The son of Afrobeat royalty Fela Kuti (and older brother to the equally prolific Seun Kuti), Femi has long since proven himself just as vital to the Nigeria’s music scene as his father, and his latest album adds another layer to his rich musical legacy.
No one will be surprised to hear that Kuti is still just as vocal with his condemnation of the social and political issues in his country and in the world as ever. He’s fierce in calling out the hypocrisy of corporations and governments accusing the average citizen of thievery (in the reggae-leaning “Corruption na Stealing”), and the gravitas and power in his vocals make his condemnation of his government’s failures on “After 24 Years” sounds just as important now as on his earliest releases.
While the rebellious spirit drives the lyrics of many of these tracks, unlike a punk album, this music is undeniably danceable. Kuti’s rhythmic funk and Afrobeat percussion throughout the album, with the assistance of his excellent horn section, transforms these polemics into bustling musical odysseys. There is rarely a moment where you would not feel comfortable moving to this music, even during the album’s darkest moments.
Moments like when Kuti sings “Throw Fela mama from window. The injury later kill Fela mama” on “Chop and Run”, with Kuti drawing on his own family’s painful history and how it relates to the abuses of his government. This track, with its beautiful sax lines and classic, 70’s jazz influences, stands as a testament to Kuti’s narrative weaving and skill as a songwriter and band leader. There’s also “Last Mugu”, with Kuti lamenting his people’s generational trauma and struggles to free themselves of damage caused by colonization (“Be African wey no wan free himself from colonial bondage”).
From the album’s opening title track, till the end with “Work On Myself”, Kuti looks at the broader internal paths we walk. He tosses aside materialism and focuses on holding close those we love on “Journey Through Life”, and on “Work on Myself”, makes a plea to everyone (including himself) to focus on changing their worlds within, admitting that often this is the only world anyone can really make significant change in.
Kuti has grown to be such a significant artist outside of his father’s shadow due both to his lyrical bravery and adventurous music. Whether it’s the galloping, jazz-punk of “Shotan” or the orchestral, big band jazz of “Think My People Think”, there is something for anyone to grasp onto in his songs and find joy in. The music is powerful. The lyrics are incisive. Femi Kuti’s Journey Through Life is a triumph.
The album is out everywhere April 25th on Partisan Records. Listen to the pre-released tracks here.
The Indy Review 
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