Renowned singer and songwriter, Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande, famously known as 9ice, recently expressed that the late Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti paved the way for Nigerian musicians to achieve success in the music industry.
During an interview with 'Sis Project Studios,' the 43-year-old artist shared his perspective, acknowledging that Fela's groundbreaking work in the Afrobeat genre created a foundation that made it easier for many artists to rise to prominence.
9ice emphasized that in the past, various artists explored different genres and avenues to showcase their talents, while Fela remained committed to Afrobeat, a genre that gained global recognition.
"Fela Anikulapo-Kuti gave us the platform which is Afrobeat for us to climb on top. We were trying to do Afropop. We were trying to do afrobeats. We were trying to do different names. But Baba [Fela] already has something that the world recognized,"
He went on to share, "Afrobeat taught me a lot. King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti are our grandfathers. And I’m glad to be in existence to emulate or to follow what they’ve done," expressing his gratitude for the musical heritage handed down by these influential figures.
Watch the video below:
"Fela Anikulapo-Kuti gave us the platform which is Afrobeat"
– 9ice
⚪️📹 Sis Project Studios pic.twitter.com/FLgaAfXlZv
— 🐬 @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) August 30, 2023