BANTU’s Consciousness and the Return to Roots

Yinka Olatunbosun

In the wake of coups and cries of citizens yearning to be heard in Africa, the leader of the 13-piece Afrocentric music band BANTU, Ade Bantu opens up about his new album and recent tour of Europe. Away from the warmth of the rising sun that morning inside Freedom Park, Lagos, the Nigerian-German singer, Adegoke Odukoya sat with a handful of journalists who were curious about his recent tour of Europe and the launch of Afropolitan Vibes in Berlin. Germany is a significant part of the BANTU story being the band’s place of origin. Hence, the visit felt like using a story to kill two birds: to promote the new album “What is Your Breaking Point?” and launch the music festival, Afropolitan Vibes for the European audience to experience the best of Afrobeat and Afrofusion live on stage.

“We released the album and quickly went on tour so we haven’t been able to launch it in Nigeria,’’ said Bantu who just arrived from the eight-week tour of Germany. The new album will be formally presented to the Nigerian audience by next month. Some of the songs can be streamed on social media platforms at the moment.

“We have released two singles ahead of the official album release. The first single is called “Wayo and Division” and the second one is “Na Me Own My Body,” he continued. “Wayo and Division” is addressing the way politicians used ethnicity and religion to divide us Nigerians and it’s something that is played across Africa. We felt we needed to address it. “Na Me Own My Body” is about women’s rights, the rights of women to decide and claim full ownership of their bodies instead of allowing men to make decisions for them.  Our starting point was the comment Buhari made about his wife’s place being ‘in the living room or the other room’, which we find insulting towards the women folks.  As an artist or empathetic human being, I can’t close my eyes and pretend that I am not seeing what is happening and can’t be singing about drinks and big buttocks when there is a problem around me.”

The new album is rooted in deep socio-political messages, concern for human rights and the need to challenge the status quo. Bantu is also aware that the sweeping consciousness across Africa manifested in coups and wars are a sign that many disgruntled citizens are fast reaching their breaking point.

“When do you get to that point where you say enough is enough where people stand up for their basic human lives? Or realise that their basic human right is being violated when you don’t have security, or proper infrastructure when inflation is high and basically life is upside down?  You are relegated like an animal fighting for survival. “Wayo and Division” a social-political song and a reflection of our time.  And we comment on what is happening around us. It is important to document what is happening around us and the question is what is your breaking point?”

The album, recorded in a six-month period, was produced during a series of events that shaped the Nigerian polity: the general elections, the introduction of the new currency, fuel shortages, and the crisis around the west coast like Mali, and Burkina Faso. Bantu wondered why the frustration of Nigerians are so subdued.

“I want people to question why they are silent. Why they are not acting or reacting? I want a reaction from everyone. I want self-reflection. Because when I say what is your breaking point? It is a very personal question. When do you say I can’t take it anymore?” 

On the heels of over 25 shows and festivals in Germany, BANTU spread the African love in the most climate-friendly way possible.

“What we did was we went completely green,’’ the band leader explained. “We were the first Nigerian bands not actually go on the road by car, we traveled by train for all our dates. That means our carbon footprint was low, as opposed to taking a car and burning fossil fuel.”

“Live shows are ways to go if you want a successful career as a musician. There is no money in Spotify. You need about 300 places on Spotify to make one dollar and you can do the Maths. You are not making any money from Spotify, boom play, or Apple Music. If you are on one of those platforms, you will not be able to have a sustainable career except you are Kanye West or Beyoncé. You have to be on the road, you have to put together a good show. When you are good on the stage, when you are authentic and interesting, and when you have engaging performances people will book you for shows. 

Nigerian artists understand this. I think someone like Burnaboy understands this. He has tight shows and he plays over 150 shows in a year. Considering that he is among the frontiers in this country at the moment. Life is very important and with the new model and longevity of career, live band is the key and you need to invest in live shows. 

The Lagos shows are planned for October and November marking a continuing tradition. Afropolitan vibes, founded by Ade Bantu started at the Freedom Park Lagos Island and later moved to Muri Okunola Park on Victoria Island. Its maiden edition in Germany this year was much more than just another music concert. 

“We also had a panel of discussion on the role of women in Afrobeat and in particular, the marginalisation of female voices and gender stereotypes and other conversations about the transformation of Nigerian pop and how it has grown into a phenomenon called Afrobeats. 

The second edition of Afropolitan in Germany will hold next year and it promises to be intellectually engaging.