Kayode Kuti

Kayode Kuti is a Lagos-born bassist, composer and producer based in New York, where he holds the bass chair in kora player Yacouba Sissoko's band Siya. He grew up in a Yoruba musical family, learning traditional rhythms on the gudugudu drum from his grandfather before taking up the bass at thirteen and playing in Lagos gospel choirs. At twenty he joined Egypt 80, the band Fela Kuti founded and Seun Kuti later led, and spent three years touring internationally with the group. His playing runs on the swing of Juju and Highlife, and he has carried it into West African and Spanish fusion, Cuban hip hop and Maghrebi jazz. He was named a OneBeat fellow in 2012 and returned for the program's OneBeat X edition.