At 62, Femi Kuti remains Afrobeat’s elder statesman – sharp, urgent, and uncompromising. His latest album, A Journey Through Life, is a reflective but fiery offering from a man born into music and resistance. A child of Kalakuta and Fela’s eldest son, Femi forged his own path in the 1980s, founding The Positive Force and condensing Afrobeat’s sprawling form into tight, 3–5 minute statements – a stark contrast to his father’s long, improvisational suites.
The opening track, which shares the album’s title, immediately sets the tone. “You’ve got to do what you love and love what you do / It’ll help you through your journey in life,” he sings. The beat drives, the band is tight, and Femi’s conviction is unmistakable.
Afrobeat has always been music with a mission, and Femi’s pen is as sharp as ever. On Chop & Run, a mid-tempo groove led by his alto sax, he laments: “Nothing for Nigeria fit shock me again.” The bass, mixed high, commands the rhythm – a reminder that in Afrobeat, groove is protest.
The album’s political core is clearest on Politics Don Expose Them, a distilled Afrobeat anthem: hard horns, layered percussion, and biting critique. “Them bastardise the economy / Them bastardise the country,” he declares, echoing a truth most Nigerians know too well.
Yet the album also offers surprises. Shotan, a long-time live favorite, gets a charged studio version with distortion on Femi’s voice, turning him into a cosmic commander. Oga Doctor shifts the focus to gender dynamics in healthcare, critiquing male doctors treating female patients – a controversial stance, but characteristically bold.
In the final stretch, Femi turns inward. Last Mugu urges personal responsibility: “If them call you last mugu, my brother e no good o.” And on Work on Myself, he suggests that personal transformation is the seed of wider change.
Musically, the album is consistent, even conservative. Femi doesn’t push boundaries here – but he doesn’t need to. His mastery of Afrobeat is clear, and his message remains vital. A Journey Through Life isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s powerful – a sage’s reflection, still rooted in groove, grit, and truth.