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Afrobeat multi-instrumentalist Omorinmade “Made” Kuti has revealed details about the financial state of his grandfather, the legendary musician and political activist Fela Kuti, before his death.
Fela, widely regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, died on 2 August 1997 at the age of 58.
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He was laid to rest in Kalakuta Cemetery, on the grounds of his former residence, now the Kalakuta Museum, in Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking during an interview on the “Tea With Tay” podcast, posted on YouTube on 2 August, Made Kuti, son of Femi Kuti, disclosed that his grandfather died in poverty.
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The 29-year-old said, “He (Fela Kuti) was broke. Fela died poor. Fela was the kind of person who, when he made a bunch of cash, had the kind of money that could have bought the whole street. But he would return from a show, Kalakuta, open a box of money and say, anybody who needs to take.
“Anybody from the street could walk into Fela’s house. It was an open house policy. Anybody could walk in and walk out at any time. His children were not allowed to call him dad or father or any honorific because he didn’t want any special treatment for them. After all, everybody was equal in Kalakuta.”
Legacy
The “For(e)ward” singer also spoke about the weight and honour of carrying the Kuti surname, the challenges of upholding a legacy, and the unfiltered truths behind his family’s storied musical heritage.
The “Free Your Mind” crooner acknowledged that his family name has helped him gain access within the music industry.
“I would never say or deny that I, as a Kuti, have opened many doors for myself in the industry. Many musicians who discovered and pioneered original music didn’t come from privileged backgrounds. Punk, blues, jazz, rock music, and even hip-hop came from struggle.
“People used art to evoke the trauma they were experiencing. Fela did that. Every time he was beaten and jailed, he returned with a stronger song. After they beat him, came Zombie, Suffering and Smiling. That was how he dealt with pain. That was his weapon.”
Therapy
Furthermore, Made Kuti revealed that he believed his father and aunt, who grew up around his grandfather, needed therapy.
“I believe truly that my father and my auntie, because they grew up with Fela as adults, need therapy. They saw the growth from him being Fela Ransom Kuti to having nothing, to the extreme fame of him being Fela Anikulapo Kuti, to the extreme decline of him financially. And in that process, they were never given any special treatment.
“I mean, the security guard was treated the same by dad and would naturally earn his rights as the first son, but it wasn’t given to him. So Fela saying he didn’t teach him anything, but Fela saying, if he wants to do music, I’ll learn how to do it myself. It must have been so heartbreaking”, Made Kuti added.
Moreover, he said that when his grandfather passed away, his father and the other children vowed to give Fela a befitting burial.
“So when he passed, these same children said that Fela’s life was about the people, so he would get a people’s burial. So when they took him to Tafawa Balewa Square, they told my dad, “See, nobody’s coming.
“When millions of people just started swarming in and they took his body from TBS back to Kalakuta, and millions of others, it was broadcast on the BBC. All of that was because the children insisted. If they didn’t insist, Fela would have just gone. And that spark within the people that existed all those years would never have ignited.”
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