Biography
Born into a lineage that traces directly to Fela Kuti—the originator of Afrobeat—Made Kuti carries forward the same activist spirit as the son of Femi, who has long safeguarded his father’s musical and political legacy. The multi-instrumentalist fuses core elements of Afrobeat with jazz, highlife, rock, and reggae, never straying from the pointed social commentary that has defined his family’s work across generations.
Raised inside the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos State—an arts venue and open-air attraction run by his father—he absorbed both sonic and ideological lessons by watching Femi’s nightly performances and studying historical volumes such as Thomas Packenham’s The Scramble for Africa, experiences that supplemented his formal schooling. These influences prompted him to join Femi’s Positive Force ensemble, where he sang in the choir on the mid-2000s live albums Africa Shrine and Live at the Shrine and contributed saxophone to the 2008 studio release Day by Day.
That involvement earned him a place at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich, London—the same institution Fela Kuti had attended in the late 1950s. Made remained there seven years, completing his studies in 2018. His first solo single, “Free Your Mind,” appeared in October 2020; “Your Enemy” followed in December. The subsequent year saw the arrival of his debut album For(e)ward, issued both independently and bundled with Femi Kuti’s tenth studio album, Stop the Hate, as the combined package Legacy +.
Raised inside the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos State—an arts venue and open-air attraction run by his father—he absorbed both sonic and ideological lessons by watching Femi’s nightly performances and studying historical volumes such as Thomas Packenham’s The Scramble for Africa, experiences that supplemented his formal schooling. These influences prompted him to join Femi’s Positive Force ensemble, where he sang in the choir on the mid-2000s live albums Africa Shrine and Live at the Shrine and contributed saxophone to the 2008 studio release Day by Day.
That involvement earned him a place at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich, London—the same institution Fela Kuti had attended in the late 1950s. Made remained there seven years, completing his studies in 2018. His first solo single, “Free Your Mind,” appeared in October 2020; “Your Enemy” followed in December. The subsequent year saw the arrival of his debut album For(e)ward, issued both independently and bundled with Femi Kuti’s tenth studio album, Stop the Hate, as the combined package Legacy +.
Albums
Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?
2025
Legacy + New Afrika Shrine Live Sessions
2021
Legacy+
2021
Your Enemy
2020
Free Your Mind
2020
Singles
