Grammy-nominated singer Made Kuti has explained why his grandfather, the Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti, died in poverty.
Speaking in a recent episode of the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor Taymesan, Kuti explained that Fela made a lot of money during his lifetime but died broke because he was excessively generous.
“He was broke. Fela died poor… He had the kind of money that could have bought a whole street, but when he comes back from a show in Kalakuta, he will open a box of money and say anyone who needs it should take it. 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,” he said.
“His children were not allowed to call him ‘dad’ or ‘father’ because he didn’t want any preferential treatment for them. Everybody was equal in Kalakuta.”
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Made Kuti also claimed that “during Fela’s lifetime, he was appreciated more internationally than he was locally.”
Fela died on August 2, 1997, at the age of 58.
In June, Made Kuti explained why he has lost interest in fighting for better governance for Nigeria.
Speaking in a recent episode of the ‘Breadown’ podcast, Kuti said, “A lot of people, including myself, we act on our feelings. When you look at Nigeria and you see how many years Fela fought.
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He explained that the activism and sacrifices of his family members, including his great-grandmother Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, grandfather Fela Kuti, his dad Femi Kuti, and his uncle Seun Kuti, have not yielded the expected results.
He stated that he is more than happy to be the right side of history, but stressed that he won’t fight for better governance in the country at the expense of his loved ones.
The singer added that his family has done enough for Nigeria, claiming that change can only happen through collective efforts and not individual struggle.
