Femi Kuti: ‘I Didn’t Receive Any Direct Teaching From My Father, Fela’

Nigerian musician Femi Kuti has reflected on his childhood with his father, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, revealing that he grew up without structured guidance and had to learn by closely observing the environment around him. According to Ireporter Online, Femi shared these insights while speaking at the Ake Arts and Book Festival in Lagos, where he described his upbringing as far from conventional.

Femi explained that his home lacked the typical father-to-son teaching moments, yet Fela still expected him to understand things instinctively. He recalled being pushed to read and comprehend complex ideas despite not receiving formal instruction. This, he said, created a household dynamic where the usual emotional bond between father and child was absent.

He noted that Fela demanded excellence from everyone in his circle and tolerated neither excuses nor mediocrity. As a result, Femi depended largely on watching his father’s actions, learning valuable lessons from daily experiences rather than formal education. He added that witnessing Fela navigate danger, police raids, and difficult situations shaped his understanding of courage and survival more than any schooling could.

Femi further said that academic struggles never provoked anger from his father; instead, Fela responded in ways that left him confused about what was expected. These experiences, he explained, contributed to his resolve to establish his independence. He recounted leaving his father’s band to develop his own identity and pursue a musical path that was authentically his.

He also shared that when he released his debut album, Fela dismissed the project, but he continued to refine his craft and build a career rooted in his own sound and experiences. Reflecting on his upbringing, Femi said he was constantly told he “should know” things without being taught, which pushed him to question his surroundings and seek answers through curiosity and observation.

In his words, “If you are Fela’s person, you had to excel. There was no room for excuses. I learnt by watching him. I’d ask him things like, ‘Are you not afraid to die?’ He would give me his answer. But if I failed, he would say, ‘Ah, you failed, well done.’ If God wanted me to be Fela, I would have been Fela. I had to be Femi Kuti.”