Culture: Big Sister Yeni, Femi, And Seun Kuti Keeping The Fela Dream Alive

Undoubtedly one of the greatest Nigerians that has ever lived, the late Afrobeat legend and cultural icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, bestrode the world like a colossus.

Over 22 years since his demise, he has continued to garner even more acclaim; in part, because some of his children are doing a lot to keep his legacy alive.

Three of his offspring, Yeni, Femi and Seun Kuti tell TOFARATI IGE about their fond memories of their father, the struggles they have endured to sustain his legacy, Afrobeat and other issues

Fela died too early – Yeni Kuti

Did you have any special routine before going on stage when you were still active as a dancer?

I always prepared my voice because we sang as well. I would also warm my body, then we would do our make-up. The schedule could be very hard sometimes, especially when one is on top. One could have about five shows in a row and one would have to be in the right frame of mind. As for me, I always smiled on stage, because it is the love that one gives one’s audience they would send back to one.

Some people look down on dancers. Why do you think that is?

For people like that, that is their opinion. If anybody looks down on me, that is the person’s problem. I am not here to judge anybody and I don’t expect anybody to judge me. When such people meet their maker, they would explain why they spent their time judging dancers.

I don’t waste time on what people think about me. I have too much to live for.

What’s your assessment of the dance industry at this time?

I feel that dancers are more respected in the industry now than when I was dancing and that makes me happy. A lot of dancers are making headway in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. For me, it is a good thing that some of us laid the foundation. I think it is a good thing that we paved the way for today’s crop of dancers.

Some people also feel that dancers are promiscuous. Is there any truth to that?

Do you know that there are female doctors and lawyers that are promiscuous? There are also male dancers and doctors that are promiscuous. There are promiscuous people in all professions.

As for me, I was a dancer and I was not promiscuous.

It is not one’s profession that determines how promiscuous one is (or would be). It is you, as a person, that determines who and what you are. The reason people judge female dancers is because a lot of them show their boobs and dance sensually.

I know how many people chased and wooed me while I was on stage. You couldn’t come to my show or a show where I was performing and say you liked me and wanted to talk to me.

You wouldn’t even see me because once I went off stage, I would go backstage and won’t come out till everybody else would have left. That way, no one would have access to me, so how could such a person be promiscuous?

What qualities does one need to be a successful dancer?

One needs determination, talent and love for the job.

When was the first time you knew you wanted to become a dancer?

I was about four or five years old.

What stirred your interest in that direction?

My father had a dancer that inspired me; her name was Dele. She was a fantastic dancer and she used to teach us how to dance.

When I was a teenager, I used to watch a South African group and I was more convinced than ever that I wanted to dance. While in secondary school, I was a member of all the cultural dancing groups we had.

I loved to dance and I still intend to dance, though I don’t do it like I used to because I’m getting old. A dancer that wants to go far has to be very passionate about the craft.

How was your experience growing up as a child of an icon like Fela Anikulapo Kuti?

I don’t know how it is because I don’t have another family except Fela’s own. I am Fela’s daughter and that is the only person I have ever been. There is nothing for me to compare it to.

What were some of the fond memories of your childhood?

I loved it when my father took us swimming. I also loved going for lectures with my father when he took us with him to university lectures. I loved it too when my mother bought home goodies for us. Whenever she went to work, she usually brought home goodies for us. I also loved it when my father took us out to places such as the cinema.

What are some of the enduring lessons your father taught you that are helping you today in your life and career?

One of the most profound things my father said to me was, ‘every disappointment is an experience’. And that is the way I lead my life. I don’t let disappointments get me down. I just take it as an experience, move forward and learn not to make that mistake again. Also, I don’t lead my life to impress anyone. And I don’t let things depress me. I am proudly African.

Over the years, you have done a lot to keep the legacy of your father alive. What motivates you in that regard?

I just want to keep his memory alive. It is important to me because I know he had a lot to offer. I think he died too early. So, I have made it my life’s work to keep his memory alive.

Felabration has been going on for some years now, what are some of the challenges you face while organising the programme?

Getting sponsors has been the major challenge. Everybody likes to say they love Fela but when it comes to putting their money where the love is, they wouldn’t. Some of them would say their company cannot sponsor Fela because of his works.

There was a particular company I went to; the boss had always been saying that he loved Fela. But, the day I went there, the man told somebody else who later told me that he could not sponsor a Fela event because Fela was always going about in his underwear. I felt the man was really hypocritical because he always said he loved Fela.

Right now, I really value the sponsors that we have, especially the early ones, because they came on board when everybody else was afraid to touch the brand. The funny thing is that the head of one of the companies that first supported us wasn’t even Nigerian.

However, the good thing is that a lot of sponsors now come on board, even without us going to meet them.

Does your family still get royalties from Fela’s works?

Yes, we do.

How do you relax?

I play computer games.

How do you like to dress?

I can’t describe my style. I can only tell you that I love to match colours. I don’t do colour-blocking but colour-matching.

What is your favourite food and do you like to cook?

My favourite food, which I cannot eat again because of old age and fat, is pounded yam, especially the soft one. As much as I like pounded yam, I have not had it in over a year. If one eats pounded yam, one would get fat quickly and I am trying to remain ever young. However, pounded yam still remains my best food.

I don’t want to be like my father – Femi Kuti

What are some of the important lessons you learnt from your father?

We learnt from his mistakes and make sure we don’t repeat them.

My father trusted many people and they all deserted him when he needed them the most. Now, we rely on ourselves as a family.

A lot of people believe that you have been able to redefine Afrobeat and the New Afrika Shrine. Was that intentional on your part?

Yes, it was intentional to find myself in the midst of the chaos. I didn’t want to copy my father; I wanted to be myself. I wanted to discover my own style of music and inspiration.

I cannot be my father and why should I want to be like him (anyway)? I love and appreciate my father but I would rather choose my own path. I want to make my own mistakes and correct them myself.

I learnt a lot from my father but I don’t want to be a copycat or a caricature of Fela.

And the same way I operate in the shrine is the same way I operate with my music. Die-hard Fela fans may not understand this but if I had listened to them, I would just be a copycat. And I am not doing this to please them but to please myself.

I appreciate myself and I want to be myself. I thank those who appreciate me but I am not doing this to please anybody.

If I wanted to be like Fela, I would probably talk and sing like him but that has never been my intention. Before Fela died, I recall that he appreciated what I was doing and he made that very clear.

All over the world, Fela has been appreciated but back home, do you think due honour has been given to him?

I am not wishing for anybody to honour my father. If I wait for that, I would probably die waiting. But it would be wrong to say Nigerians don’t appreciate him; a lot of people love him.

However, it is not just about my father. The Federal Government (of Nigeria) killed my grandmother. Soldiers threw her out of a window and there has been no apology for that.

Do you think the government doesn’t know that what they did was wrong? If they want to honour her, that’s their business but we are not going to wait for them.

(Thankfully), we had the wisdom to build the shrine and keep the legacy alive. The government’s nonchalant attitude towards my father has not stopped my father’s name from going abroad, neither has it killed his legacy.

How did the death of your grandmother shape your perception of Nigeria?

I didn’t realise it at that time until I was much older. In Nigeria, one learns every day. Nigeria keeps one on one’s toes.

We built the shrine and for eight years, there were constant police raids and nobody came to our defence. The security operatives would come in and break things.

They practically wanted to stop the shrine from functioning. At a point, I had to move into the shrine. But now, the shrine is recognised as one of the most important tourist attractions in Lagos State, if not Nigeria.

That was due to me and my sister (Yeni)’s steadfastness and non-apologetic stand about what we believed we were doing. Nobody took us to this stage and I keep asking, during the period of chaos and tribulation, who came to our defence? Nobody!

A lot of Nigerians were even the cause of what was happening to us. The press was writing bad articles. Some people said I was mad. In the course of that, my wife left– due to the pressure. But we remained steadfast in our commitment. Must the France president come to the shrine before people would recognise and appreciate what we have done?

So, it takes people such as Naomi Campbell, Anthony Joshua and other great personalities before it can be established that we are doing something good.

We don’t need anybody’s approval to tell us that what we are doing is right. Most importantly, we don’t wait for anybody to define our values for us. When I built the shrine, I didn’t want anybody to come to my defence.

I’m just telling you what happened; I don’t have any regrets. When I started my career, nobody gave me a chance. Even my father, when I left him, he was angry. It took years for him to understand what I was doing. I don’t wait for people’s approval before doing anything. I love making music and I would stand by it as long as I am alive.

I would try to build on it (shrine) and make it the most beautiful thing in the world. Some people even said we killed human beings (as a sacrifice) in the shrine when they saw the huge crowd that attended Felabration.

That shows you the type of mentality some people in this country have. The shrine would be 20 years soon; which club has existed that long? You can imagine the resources that have been expended to keep that place alive for 20 years. We are committed to what we believe in.

We are promoting our culture through music. When people from other countries visit the shrine, they are usually amazed. There is nowhere like it in the whole world. From the day we decided to build the shrine in honour of my father, we have never looked back.

How do you think Fela would react to the current political climate of the country and the xenophobic attacks in South Africa if he were alive?

I don’t think Fela would turn in his grave (over the happenings in the country) because worse things had happened even before his death and he had seen Nigerians for what they truly were. He had lost hope (before he died).

To be honest with you, Fela was totally against MKO Abiola running for president but a lot of activists defended him (Abiola), saying (they wanted) democracy at all cost. I wonder what would have gone through his mind if he were alive when Nigerians voted for (Olusegun) Obasanjo to be president.

At a point, people felt that the relationship between you and Seun wasn’t cordial. Was there any substance to those rumours?

I am not having issues with my family.

I dislike people using Fela as an excuse to be irresponsible – Seun Kuti

How well would you say you have been able to keep the legacies of your late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, alive?

I have been leading my life according to his teachings to the best of my understanding and also giving glory to God musically because people in Nigeria do not show enough respect (for Fela).

This is Fela’s band (Egypt 80) and I have kept it going for 22 years. It is not only the most recorded band in Africa, but it is also (allegedly) the most recorded band in the world. We have made over 50 albums. This band is a treasure for this nation.

What are some of the misconceptions people had about Fela?

Many people wrongly accused Fela of ‘breeding’ louts but the truth is that it was even his (Fela’s) boys that used to go and fight louts for oppressing people. In Ikeja (Lagos State), it was after Fela died that they started selling hard drugs. Fela fought it to a standstill all through his time. At a point, he was even kidnapped.

You have got a lot of acclaim in Africa and all over the world. Do you think you have been adequately celebrated in your own country?

We haven’t got acclaim in Africa. I got a Grammy award nomination in 2018. I have also won awards in different parts of the world but I don’t publicise them. Those recognitions show how much they value and respect my work and the legacy of my father. For me, it is a legacy and the respect comes with it.

Why do you think most of your notable awards came from outside Africa?

It is because the people that control all the influencers in Nigeria are Fela’s enemies. They give all their influencers the blueprint that Fela didn’t want them to emulate and portray to the world. Many artistes say they are being like Fela but they spend their money like (Femi) Otedola, (Aliko) Dangote, (Major General Muhammadu, retd) Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo. They don’t adopt the kind of lifestyle Fela did yet they all say they are being like Fela.

Many artistes in Nigeria usually cite Fela as one of their biggest influences. Do you think they mean it or are they just playing to the gallery?

I believe that true love must come with knowledge. To love something, you have to know it. That is why people don’t marry strangers. Some people use Fela as an excuse to be irresponsible and I speak out against it because I don’t like it. Fela did not keep billions in the bank.

At any point in time, he had about 300 people staying in his house and another 500 living in the shrine, and he paid salaries and daily allowances to them all. All the money Fela had went back to the people; he didn’t keep it to himself. Fela’s band was 70-men strong.

He didn’t need 70 people to play in his band but he just wanted them to have a means of livelihood. He was a man who put his money where his mouth was. He was benevolent to everybody around him but now, ‘they’ have destroyed the name– people just destroyed what Fela means.

In the neighbourhood where the shrine was formerly located, Fela’s boys were the ones protecting the people from hooligans from other areas such as Yaba, Lagos Island, Somolu, Marina, Bariga and others. As a matter of fact, that is how the term, ‘area boy’ became a thing, and today, look at what we have turned area boys into.

Area boys were supposed to protect our communities. Fela found them basically out of his socialist brand that was assisting and protecting the community from abuse. Now, they are the ones abusing the community. Fela also fought against drug dealers.

Fela was open and unapologetic about smoking Indian hemp. That doesn’t align with your claim that he fought against drugs. Please, clear the air on that.

The only substance Fela really talked about was marijuana; any other thing to Fela was drugs. Fela removed them (drugs) from his area and that is all I can say about the ‘drug war’.

People that have lived in Ikeja for a long time know this story and it is something that would be told to the world, so people can get details. It would be nice to do a documentary for the world to know more about Fela.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about Fela’s family. What are you and your siblings doing to counter this?

We are doing our best but it is basically us against media houses, educational institutions, and government. As African people, we say we love ourselves yet we did not do any research to know ourselves. We must study to know ourselves.  Our success story would be different from the way our oppressors would define it.

There have always been controversies about ‘Afrobeat’ which Fela was known for and ‘Afrobeats’, which Nigerian artistes are making now. What’s the difference?

I don’t see any basis for comparison. I don’t compare music.

It has been said that Nigerian music is losing its consciousness, as artistes don’t sing about socially relevant issues but alcohol, sex and other vices. What is your opinion about that?

Some of them actually do (make socially conscious music). But the problem is that the media does not promote songs that address those issues. As I see it, the media has to take responsibility because the youth are very vital. If any society wants to know about itself– its past, future and present– the answer is in the youth.

Nigerians love what you give them. Are all Africans the same? No! The people have the right to determine what they want but, sadly, that is not the case these days. Some certain people are in control of information and they disseminate whatever they wish to.

Have you ever given any thought to going into politics?

I am already into politics. I may not occupy any public office because I still have an important mission with my music to the world but definitely, I want to play a role in influencing people in public office. My movement is called the ‘Natural Resistance Movement’. We don’t want to form a political party; rather, we want a movement through which we can have a conversation with ourselves and find solutions to common problems. Nigerians don’t know they have to fight (for their rights). Fela stood on the shoulders of men that came before him. He knew his responsibility and was not afraid to own them.

Aren’t you worried that the government may take certain steps against you for creating a ‘resistance’ movement?

Why? Is it a bad thing to resist oppression? If they want to lock me up, they can do that.

What are some of the most enduring lessons your father taught you that shaped your life and made you who you are till today?

He always said it was important for one to accept one’s responsibilities.

How would you describe your relationship with your siblings?

My family has been through a lot, no doubt, but this is 22 years after the death of Fela. We are a family and I am not as close to some as I am to others. However, I am very close to Femi and Yeni.

Some people believe there is a sort of rivalry between you and Femi?

That exists only in the minds of people who think that. We push ourselves to be great artistes but music is not a sport, and that is what some people don’t understand.

When you are not making music, how do you relax?

If I am not making music, I would be playing music. And if I am not playing music, I would be playing with my partner and my daughter. I don’t go out a lot– I usually stay at home and read my books.

Is there any artiste, within or outside Nigeria, that reminds you of who Fela was and what he stood for?

I’ll give it to Falz.

How would you describe your style?

Very simple. You would mostly find me in jeans, t-shirts and trainers. These days, I enjoy shorts.