Muyiwa Kunnuji’s intricate notes survey state of world on new collection

Unfurling unseemly facets of human behaviour, organisational interest and governmental complicity, the self-taught trumpeter makes a skilful appraisal of this trifecta. Foregrounding the continental relevance of his message, Kunnuji’s Afrobeat is accompanied by detours into Africa’s regions, tucking elements of jazz, dance, marabi, soukous and highlife into its soundscape.

Where Southern, Central and West African tonalities coalesce, Kunnuji imbues traditional Afrobeat compositions with a deft infusion of the blues in a delicate pairing of content and form. Further enhancing this collection is the accompaniment of the critique of modernist capitalism by call and response – as if to bring the audience into Kunnuji’s orbit. Once this invitation is accepted, a display of technical artistry ensues with intricate harmonies, incessant polyrhythms and percussion smitten with a palpable urgency reflecting the offering’s core ethos.

While the musicality is innovative in its construction, this self-described ‘Afroclassic-Beat’ bemoans social conditions that are seemingly entrenched, and systemically maintained. It’s at this point Kunnuji evokes the sensibilities of his late senpai Fela Kuti, singling out philanthropists in disguise and governments whose blind drive towards accumulation lays waste to the environment and its inhabitants.

Created against the backdrop of COVID-19, a preoccupation with mortality is threaded across Accumulation of Profit and Power’s six tracks. Between the eclectic influences of opener ‘Bro Hugh’, a reference to the late South African jazz great Hugh Masakela, and the wailing highlife acoustics of ‘Recipe of Death’, Kunnuji pays homage to African music and bemoans the pursuit of gain at the expense of communal welfare. While the latter song embodies the project’s central concerns, ‘Oshelu’ canvasses a delectable irony, ‘Meeting Point’ advocates for solidarity, and ‘Sanitize Your Heart’ redirects the need for purification of our innermost values.

Amid the addressing of these thematic concerns, Kunnuji utilises sonic motifs to create the literal sense of a meeting point. The infusion of Yoruba, English, and French lyricism and smatterings of South African expressions create an inclusive environment that effectively mimics the collection’s social aesthetic.

At its heart, Accumulation of Profit and Power is an augmentation of Afrobeat conventions, wherein the call and response denotes a call to action, while its eclectic rhythms symbolise the plurality of humanity. It’s after the album sets this tone that it finds a harmonious balance between musicality and activism.

Artist: Muyiwa Kunnuji
Album: Accumulation of Profit and Power
Label: OfficeHome Records
Year: 2022