海角大神

How do you move a crowd and uphold a legacy at the same time? One Nigerian Afrobeat artist is doing both 鈥� carrying forward the activist spirit that shaped his family鈥檚 work. 峄宮峄嵦乺矛nm谩d茅 K煤t矛, also known as M谩d茅, comes from one of the most influential musical lineages in Nigeria. His grandfather, Fela K煤t矛, pioneered Afrobeat 鈥� a globally recognized genre that blends traditional Yoruba music with American blues, jazz, and funk. Fela K煤t矛 used this genre not only to innovate musically, but to challenge authority and give voice to the oppressed.

Unlike his grandfather鈥檚 confrontational approach, M谩d茅 K煤t矛鈥檚 style is both reflective and forward-looking, shaped by the questions, struggles, and hopes of a new generation.

For the past 60 years, Nigeria has struggled with issues including police harassment of peaceful citizens and protestors, and elections marked by fraud and manipulation. Artists such as Fela K煤t矛 and Femi K煤t矛, M谩d茅鈥檚 father, have used their music to push for change, calling attention to the country鈥檚 challenges while offering visions of something better. M谩d茅 K煤t矛 continues that effort with the release of his debut standalone album 鈥淐hapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?鈥� on July 25. The album engages both heart and feet, blending vibrant beats with an intent to provoke thought, dialogue, and a vision for a more just future. The artist delivers this through his relatable lyrics, weaving in references to past incidents, and posing questions that challenge listeners to reflect on societal norms.

In a Zoom interview with the Monitor, he discusses the ideas and values that guide his work. He also opens up about his creative process 鈥� the joy of experimenting and finding new ways to compose music 鈥� and emphasizes the importance of resilience. 鈥淢usic is not the solution,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 what can inspire people to bring change.鈥� The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

How do you see this album as a message of hope to listeners going through difficult times?

I hope they feel like they are not alone first, and I hope that the album gives them the strength to push forward. ... [The song 鈥淚 Won鈥檛 Run Away鈥漖 is not really about not running away from circumstances [or] from yourself. ... [It] is knowing everything that you鈥檝e become, whatever stage you are in at that moment, and then facing those challenges head on and not denying them or pretending they don鈥檛 exist. But, you know, eye to eye, this is what I am and I want to be better.

Your album is titled 鈥淐hapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?鈥� Why did you choose that as the title?

[The album I released with my father] is called 鈥淔or(e)ward,鈥� so that was a play on words, forward as in progressively moving forward, but also like ... the opening to a book. 鈥淐hapter 1鈥� is just how I want to start listing my projects. I feel like the majority of what the songs are sort of targeting lyrically is generally self-happiness and progress. ... If people are more conscious of what and who they are, and where they鈥檝e come from and what they want, then it鈥檚 easier to not be so driven by movements of the collective. ... So yeah, where does happiness come from? The answer really is that it鈥檚 within oneself. ... It comes with wanting to be a better version of yourself. It comes from striving to acknowledge your faults, acknowledge your weaknesses, and never settling for unhappiness.

What kind of future are you hoping to see for Nigeria?

I hope I can believe one day that we will go on the right track. I think Nigeria鈥檚 problem is far beyond what we think is simply [political] corruption. ... Everybody has a role to play. ... Democracy only really has power when the majority of people have something to stand for or stand against, and collectively we rarely ever do that. And that is by far one of our biggest problems is that we will just wait. I don鈥檛 think we really accept that we are just as responsible for the country as any other person.

What role do you think your music plays in envisioning that future?

My music is just trying to be as honest as I can about accountability. Music is not the solution, right? I don鈥檛 think it is what will bring about change. If music was a solution, then people would have listened to Fela while he was alive ... and listened to the incredible work and projects that he put out during his life. ...

I guess we鈥檙e driven by what brings pleasure, as opposed to what brings responsibility and work. So we, as musicians, now try to do something that balances both, where you can dance and enjoy, but the lyrics hold meaning. ... The value of what Afrobeat is, which is conscious music ... can inspire people to bring change. I don鈥檛 think a very fantastic song will sort of connect with everybody in such a way that suddenly a revolution will come about. ... I feel like maybe little by little people might start [to see] oh, wait, this makes sense. And they will come about, communally share thoughts, it will inspire them to be better. And as a result then, the world can be a better place.

Is that what you think about when you create your music? In most of your tracks, there鈥檚 a span of instrumentals, and then a little bit of lyrics that have deeper meaning. Is that what you鈥檙e trying to do when you鈥檙e creating your music, too?

Yeah, of course, but at the same time, I enjoy being a musician, you know. So a lot of that is me having fun as well with trying to discover new ways of composing Afrobeats, new ways of being experimental, trying things that have not necessarily been done before. Trying different textures, trying different horn lines, bass patterns, and all of that. ... I don鈥檛 deviate and do things that are popular just because I know they work, but I do things I feel I enjoy, and I take risks in the music, and that鈥檚 how I think every creator should work. ... When I feel like an industry is just pummeling the same thing because we know it works, it鈥檚 a disservice to the listeners because they鈥檙e not musicians, so they don鈥檛 know what risks to take or how to take those risks. So it鈥檚 up to us as musicians to do those things.

In what way does having hope for a better future lead to change?

I plan to have children soon. And if I don鈥檛 have any sense of hope for a better sort of Nigeria or a better world, I would feel very irresponsible bringing them into this planet. ... So that鈥檚 where hope lies for me. It鈥檚 really in continuity. ... I want to believe that. That鈥檚 the thing about music, right, it鈥檚 timeless. So a 10-year-old 20 years from now could hear the same thing I鈥檓 writing today and gather something from it, as we are still influenced by Fela and my father. ... That鈥檚 why I write the music that I write, because I want to try to influence in some way that鈥檚 ... in more positive directions.