Femi Kuti carries torch for Afrobeat

At 51, Femi Kuti is still the torch bearer for Afrobeat, the politically savvy music pioneered by his father Fela Kuti.

The 2008 Broadway show Fela helpedrefocus attention on Kuti Sr., the Nigerian music legend, with artists such Jay-Z and Beyoncacknowledging they are fans of the Afrobeat sound.

As the oldest son, Femi Kuti believes he has a mandate to keep his fathers traditional African rhythms in the mainstream, but also to keep hismessage of resistance alive.

Currently touring Canada with his band The Positive Force in support of his latest album No Place for My Dream, Kuti has fashioned a global message that looks at events as diverse as the Arab Spring and the EU currency crisis.

"I thought I was at a stage in my career where I could voice problems internationally this time," Kuti said in an interview withCBCs Q cultural affairs show.

"I love where I am now. Being able to stand on top of the world and express not just my own personal problems in Nigeria, but make it broader."

He spoke of friends in Europe who have no jobs and no money, and the lingering impact of the Arab Spring, which has left Tunisia and Egypt unsettled.

All those problems are reflected in his songwriting, which remains upbeat in spite of the continuing corruption and conflict, Kuti said.

"Im a realistI deal with what I see. Im very practical about what I see. I still hope, I still dream and I still have to keep on fighting," he added.

Kuti has collaborated with hip hop artists such as Common and Mos Def, helping to modernize the Afrobeat sound and make it appealing to a new generation.

He says Nigeria, which abused and jailed his father,cannot escape the Kuti nameand his impact, because teens there are again listening to Afrobeat.

"After [Femi Kuti's hit song] Bang Bang Bang, which was so big, it opened so many doors for me and I thought it was very important to seize those opportunities work with as many people as possible especially for Africa and if I could tell the true story of Africa to the art world and to music world, then it would open doors for a new generation one day," Kuti said. Already Nigerian musicians are finding work in America with the rising profile ofAfrobeat, he added.

Kuti says he doesnt feel his own career has been overshadowed by having such a famous father.

"People always say you will never be as good as your father. But I have one powerI truly love my father, I respect him," he said.

Femi Kuti and his big band, The Positive Force, willplay in Toronto tonight andin Ottawa and Quebec City this week, before moving onto Europe.