Baba Kuboye and Band: FELAbration 2024

In March 2023, Afrobeat shone at SXSW in Austin, TX, despite heavy winds destroying the outdoor stage 24 hours prior. Baba Kuboye and his 13-man band energized the crowd with their performance, boosting Baba's career following his EP ‘From Ikoyi With Horns.’ Baba, signed under Texas' first independent minority-owned Afrobeat label, had already attracted global attention. His single ‘Kalakuta Girl,’ celebrating women, trended in Vienna and featured visuals shot at Fela Kuti’s Afrikan Shrine.

Baba grew up watching Fela perform and played alongside his parents at Jazz 38 in Lagos, near where Fela protested his great-grandmother’s killing by the military. At SXSW, Baba's song ‘Ikoyi Boy’ addressed ongoing issues in Nigeria, referencing the 2020 protest killings.

His socially conscious music, coupled with his instrumental and vocal talents, gained him recognition on BET and MTV. His single ‘Ikoyi Boy’ won at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards, leading to more bookings. Baba's EP features songs addressing racism, mental health, and social media, and he plans to continue making music that serves the greater good.