Bantu's music is always bigger than itself. It's not only because the group has 13 members, but it's also about the fact that it has community at its core. Throughout the years, the Lagos-based band has been building their network by working with local and international collaborators. Music-wise, Bantu’s style contains more than one genres, from Afrobeat, highlife, hip-hop, afrofunk to the traditional Yoruba sound. Moreover, there's a great depth in their socially conscious lyrics.
The band recently returned to the music scene with a new song whose theme is in line with Bantu's activism. Entitled Disrupt the Programme, the song is an invitation to rise against a government that has normalized "insurgency, kidnappings, corruption, criminalization of poverty and blatant abuse of power." When the voice of the people is silenced, "we have no choice but to 'Disrupt The Programme'," declares Bantu in a statement.
The release of the song comes with an accompanying music video that further strengthens the message. Executive produced by the band's frontman Ade Bantu, the video sees protesters taking to the streets to rally against the corrupt system, which is personalized by men in black attire with "POLICE" written on their T-shirts.
Watch the music video above and stream or download the song here.
