Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 Band are getting set for their 2024 tour. No fewer than 18 dates had been selected for the North America tour.
A Django Music initiative, Seun Kuti will light up the Portland House of Music and Levitt Pavilion, among others. The tour begins with the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival and comes to an end on July 28, at the Nelsonville Music Festival. On the June 14 and June 16 dates, in San Diego and Los Angeles respectively, Seun Kuti will join the iconic Soul Rebels as a guest. Kuti and the band will also make special appearances as opening acts for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, on July 17 in Toronto and July 22 in Cuyahoga Falls.
Egypt 80 Band was formerly led by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti but his son Seun Kuti took over the band upon his death in August 1997. At the moment, about three quarters of the current band are original members who played music with Fela, while Seun has managed to fuse his father’s passionate political messages with sonic influences from wider Africa.
The band’s last album came with 2018’s Black Times, it also released an EP titled African Dreams in 2022 with the legendary rapper and The Roots frontman Black Thought, which they toured in support.
The 2024 North American tour gives the Grammy-nominated artist the chance to showcase the music that has shaped new music from Africa in the last five decades.