Femi Kuti: Singer Explains Why Grammy Awards Is Insignificant

Legendary Afro-beats artiste, Femi Kuti, has said that he would like to win the Grammy Awards for the razzmatazz and to make Nigerians happy even though he doesn’t believe that the award determines whether he is a good musician or not.
The singer who celebrated his 55th birthday on Friday, June 16, 2017 has been nominated for a Grammy award four times without winning and he insists that there are many musical legends who never won the Grammy, including his late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Bob Marley yet their legacies are forever.
When asked if he still hoped to win the prestigious award, Femi Kuti told Encomium, “If I win, it is good, Nigerians would be happy. But I don’t think that should be our focus. Why do we have to wait for the Grammy to tell you I am a good musician? If I don’t win Grammy, does that mean you will not appreciate my efforts? My dad never won a Grammy, he was never nominated, neither was Bob Marley and so many great musicians.
“A group of people just sit down and decide whether your music is good or not. They are human beings. They sat without my consent. I don’t want to be arrogant, but at 55, after all the music that I have composed, I don’t know who they are. They can be some young boys and girls. I don’t know the judges and how they go about it. I can’t be waiting for them to ask for my consent to appreciate my music. At 55, don’t you think I would be wasting my time? As an African girl, think about it. It means I should be waiting for them to get my consent to recognize the hours I put into music. Somebody is stupid, but I don’t think it is me.
“I would love to win the Grammy for the razzmatazz, but the deeper I think about it, the more I don’t see the significance. Why do all of you have to wait for Europe to give you credibility? Why do you have to wait for them to tell you the news? Do you know what is happening in other parts of the African continent now? Take Congo for example, why do we have to wait for Europe to go to Congo and tell us there is mass exploitation there. I am more concerned about what is happening in Congo than winning the Grammy.
It affects millions of lives. You come out of the best university and you are still not recognised. You have to leave this country before your people would listen to you. You produce the best doctors but they are outside the country. It is a shame. Since 1960 Nigeria got independence, there has been corruption.
“I started my music career in 1986, nobody wanted to listen to me. It took me eight years before my hit track, Wonder Wonder came out. I became more popular in Europe and America. Many people gave me breathing space.
Bang Bang Bang came out and it was banned in my country. That music brought recognition to this country than any music. As a journalist, these are the questions you should ask me. Should I win the Grammy at 55 or at 60 when my life is nearly over? Do you know how many hours of practice I put into my music every day? Six hours minimum daily including Sundays. Do you think a man that puts in that effort is really concerned about trivial matters?“