Afrobeat King, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti has
been performing for over 30 years. The four
times Grammy nominee shares his stage
experience today.
Can you recall the first time you played live
on stage?
That was in 1979 at the University of Ife,
now Obafemi Awolowo University, when I
played on Fela’s stage.
How was the show?
The show was good.
Did you experience any stage fright?
Of course, I did. But with time, I overcame
it with determination and the will to
succeed.
How do you prepare for a show?
I warm up with my instrument apart from
the normal rehearsals. I practise with my
instrument every day. Like I am at the
Shrine now trying to warm up two hours
before the normal rehearsals and also two
hours after rehearsals. I wake up before
10a.m and practise for at least six hours. I
also make sure I get to the venue of a
show two hours before kick off, do the
sound check and do some warming up. .My
life is all about practising.
Do you have a particular food you take on
the day of a show?
I eat normal food. I take my breakfast as
soon as I wake up so that it can digest
fast.
You exude so much energy on age; do you
take any stimulant?
No, I live a normal life. I may drink Seven
Up or Coca-Cola. If it is outside the
country, I may take ice cream. I like to take
sweet things before going on stage. Now
that I am growing old, I don’t exercise too
much, I just stretch my body a bit so as
not to have muscle pull while performing.
How do you relate to your fans?
I relate with them as normal human beings,
anybody can walk up to me and say ‘hi’
because I am not suffering from ‘stardom
syndrome’.
What crazy thing has a male fan done to
you?
It depends because the way I present my
self, people don’t do crazy things with me.
A male fan can walk up to me and say he
wants to hug me; I don’t see anything bad
in that. If somebody loves and appreciates
what you do, there is nothing bad in it.
What of female fans?
Nothing, as I said, it depends on the way
you present yourself. The worst a female
fan has done is to give me a kiss on the
cheek and say ‘Femi, I love you’. And I reply
by saying ‘I love you too.’ I have not
autographed boobs, bras or whatever. I am
not a weird person, so no woman can do
any crazy thing to me.
Do you do anything special to enhance your
voice?
You have known me for a long time. I don’t
do any rituals. The only thing I do is to
warm my vocal cords via exercise. It has
been part of me and music has been part
of me. I take music like a lawyer or doctor
takes his or her work. Music is not a hobby
to me. I make sure that I practice for at
least six hours daily. Sometimes, it could
be eight or 10 hours depending on my
mood. At times, I may do it from 10am to
10pm. Practising has been my strength.
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