“Femi Kuti Reveals Family Drama: Sister’s Pushback Against Selling Fela’s Legacy”

Afrobeat artist, Femi Kuti has detailed why his family refrained from selling their father, the late Afrobeat trailblazer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s collection despite numerous proposals.

In a recent discussion with Channels TV, the Grammy-nominated performer revealed that the primary motive was to safeguard the Afrobeat icon’s legacy.

He highlighted that his older sister, Yeni Kuti, particularly opposed the disposal of Fela’s collection, emphasizing that she is remarkably protective of the Afrobeat innovator’s heritage.

He, nonetheless, mentioned that the family granted permission for Fela’s music to a foreign entity for a limited duration.

“We never sold Fela’s collection. It is under Fela’s estate managed by the family. But we licensed the music.

“Hence, we oversee it. I am uncertain how many years we have remaining but when that period concludes, we will reclaim it and license it again,” Kuti clarified.

“My older sister, Yeni Kuti, vehemently opposed the sale of Fela’s collection. She acts as the custodian. And we honor her as the eldest among us. It doesn’t imply that the rest of us lack input, certainly.

“But she is very vigilant regarding Fela’s legacy, so she insisted we do not sell it. I understood her perspective immediately and we all concurred. If we had sold it, no royalties would be flowing to the family,” he added.

The music icon expressed his hope that their offspring would uphold this principle and safeguard Fela’s legacy in the years to come.