When asked in an interview with Saturday Punch if people would ever see him and his half brother Femi Kuti collaborate, Seun Kutu replied;
Collaborations like that are money spinners. If we would collaborate, it is not because we want to do something great for music because we are already making great music individually. But if we do it, it would mainly be for financial reason. We agreed that as soon as we feel our career is slowing down and money is not coming as it should, we would jump into the studio and do a money spinner.
We learnt you just came back from a world tour:
Oh yes. It was a six-month tour. We went to Canada, Trinidad, Cannery Island, Algeria and so many other countries. We went to Brazil, Argentina as well. I went with my band members and it was very successful.
Asked why he hardly get engagements in Nigeria, Seun said
I don’t know. I come back here to rest because I don’t get jobs here. I don’t understand it as well. At times, I am saddened by it because it is just a shame. It is not even about me but the band which has the pedigree of being a big band. But just for political reasons, we are being excluded. I believe afro beat should be in high demand in Nigeria, Fela did a lot for Nigerians. I watch the shows here and it is not as if they are better than what I do.
Asked if he was serious about never getting married, Seun said;
I don’t believe in marriage. If I had wanted to be married, I would have been working towards it. People can decide what they want to do with their lives. I just don’t believe in that institution especially as it is set up today
How do you mean?
I don’t like the idea of ‘ownership.’ Nobody has the right to own anybody. This is a capitalist idea so that people can make profit off love. You don’t make profit off love.
What if the mother of his child decides to get married to someone else?
She is free. If she wants to be married, then that is her choice. What will I do about it? Will I put a gun to her head and insist that she should not get married? But I know she will not do that because we have a strong bond and we understand each other and our partnership is great. We are raising a beautiful daughter and it would be a big surprise if she says she wants to get married to someone else.
Do you miss your father?
I miss him. He raised me. I grew up with him. It would be callous of me to say I don’t miss him. It would be a lie too. Lies are even worse than callousness. I wish I could have a conversation with him. It would be great if I could talk to him.
So why didn’t you go professional?
I could have but my uncle told me that professional footballers retire in their 30s and that all the good coaching jobs are taken. So, I would probably be bored for the second half of my life. That is why old footballers get fat. This brought me to the other love that I had which is music. I love music. My parents never asked me to play music. Maybe it was out of love for music and a bit of naivety that made me get into music.
Hasn’t your music put you in trouble before?
You only get into trouble when you do something that is against the law. My music cannot put me into trouble. This is democracy. They can only attack us economically.
Did you watch your dad perform?
I used to go to all the shows with my dad. I saw his lifestyle. He made money; people loved him and his music. There were women everywhere. I felt it was the easiest job ever. But that was very naive. Music is not easy at all. I think a musician’s life is one of the hardest to live. We have to be perfect anytime we work. If a musician makes a mistake on the stage, that is the beginning of the end of his career. If you make it two or three more times, people will say you are not ‘tight’ on the stage.
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