ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Femi Kuti

Femi Kuti

‘For a decade, nobody wanted to listen to my music’ — Femi Kuti

byJayne Augoye
December 7, 2017
2 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has said it took him about a decade to gain the acceptance of music fans.

The 55-year-old musician made the revelation in a tell-it-all interview on Wazobia Max in Lagos on Thursday. In the chat, Femi explained how he struggled to get out of his father’s shadow to make a name for himself.

He said,“For like a decade nobody wanted to listen to my music. And so I decided to make a name in France, Switzerland, and Germany. Then I broke into America before ‘Wonder Wonder’ became a hit in Nigeria and people wanted to listen to my music. So, it took eight to ten years before people gave me a chance.”

He explained that he was never christened “Femi” as his first name was actually “Olufela”.

He revealed that his mother changed his name to Femi so as, ”not to be put in the shadow of Fela.” He also revealed the steps he took to create a name for himself stressing that he “can never be Fela Kuti because he is Femi Kuti.”

Femi also spoke about his experience performing in his father’s Egypt 80 band, before eventually leaving to kick off his own music career. According to him, the transition took place in an era when his father reigned supreme.

Obviously tired of constantly being compared to his father during his time in the Egypt 80 band, Femi said he had to make the bold move.

“Playing in my father’s band, he took me everywhere. I knew I could never be him. As Fela’s son, I was loved and appreciated but some people always looked at it like a challenge. And I didn’t see that way; all I saw was the man I loved, adored and respected so much. So I didn’t see the competition. But everyone expected, I wanted to be like him and I was constantly being told I couldn’t be like him but it wasn’t my aim. I wanted to find myself in the chaos surrounding me.”

Femi, who started playing the saxophone at age 15 before he became a member of his father’s band, noted, “I can never be Fela Kuti but I can be Femi Kuti.

RelatedNews

Family tortures girl with hot knife, pepper in vagina for alleged theft

UPDATED: 279 of the kidnapped Jangebe schoolgirls freed (PHOTOS)

MTN Nigeria posts record turnover as pandemic drives data sales

Oyo residents lament as petrol queues resurface

”With this in mind, I decided I was not going to turn up for rehearsals anymore. My father was very angry. Everyone was scared for my fate but I knew that this journey would be tough. Even if it meant going through a brick wall, I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to start then before it was too late. So I closed my eyes and mind and did it.”

On his early music influences, Femi said, “I think it is very important to understand why and how I decided music. I started out listening to jazz. My father introduced me to jazz and I hated the genre in the beginning. When I understood the nitty-gritty of Jazz music, I knew I could be either be Charlie Parker, Myles Davies or I could just be Femi Kuti.”

Watch the full video below:

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Nigeria Police promote 243 senior officers (SEE FULL LIST)

Next Post

VIDEO: PDP Chairmanship: North’s offer reason we’re producing single candidate — Ladoja

Jayne Augoye

Jayne Augoye

Jayne Augoye is an assistant editor and covers the entertainment and lifestyle beat for PREMIUM TIMES. She has a master's degree in Media and Communication from the Pan Atlantic University. Twitter: @jaynejones

More News

Photo credit: Dr Frabz official Instagram page

Nigerian music producer, Dr Frabz, is dead

February 28, 2021
Nathaniel Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan and Tim Godfrey

Nathaniel Bassey, Tim Godfrey, others to minister at Marathon Messiah Praise Gospel Concert

February 26, 2021
Pa Christopher Ajilo receiving an award in 2017 [PHOTO CREDIT: @COSONNG]

COSON mourns late Nigerian music icon Chris Ajilo

February 22, 2021
Fireboy bags five awards at the Headies

14th Headies: Fire Boy tops winners list with five awards (FULL LIST)

February 22, 2021
Evangelist Ismail Badmus

INTERVIEW: How my personal experience inspired “Lori Iro” sermon – Ismail Badmus

February 20, 2021
Sir Shina Peters

Paternity Scandal: Shina Peters reacts to reports of alleged love child with actress

February 19, 2021
Next Post
Rashidi Ladoja

VIDEO: PDP Chairmanship: North's offer reason we're producing single candidate -- Ladoja

Buhari

Buhari directs law enforcement agencies to crack down on drug traffickers

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,627,408 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.