Why Femi Kuti Walked Away from Fela’s Band
Femi Kuti, Afrobeat star and eldest son of the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has opened up about why he left his father’s band despite the huge pressure to follow directly in Fela’s footsteps.
Speaking on the Afropolitan Podcast, Femi explained that staying in Fela’s band made him feel like he had no personal identity.
“I did not have any possibility of my life,” he said.
From school days, Femi was constantly reminded of his father’s legacy.
“Everybody would be like, ‘Aren’t you going to be like your dad? Won’t you play music?’ I was pressured to be like my father,” he recalled.
At one point, Femi even dressed exactly like Fela. “I was like mini-Fela,” he said, adding that he realized he needed to break away or risk being an unhappy man.
So, he left Fela’s home and returned to his mother to rediscover himself.
Forming his own band came with challenges.
“The moment I formed my band, his fan base descended on me. It was very difficult to find a good write-up about me then because the press hated me,” Femi revealed.
At that time, there was no internet to defend himself, and many people dismissed him simply for not being Fela.
Femi admitted that living under Fela’s shadow left no room for him to live his own life, even to the point of starting a family.
“Being under my father, I didn’t have any possibility of my own life, including having children. I saw my life in his life,” he said.
Now 63, Femi Kuti has carved out his own legacy in Afrobeat, proving that while he carries his father’s blood, he has always been determined to walk his own path.