The Untold Story: Fela Wasn’t a Good Father — Declares Yeni Kuti
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
Yeni Kuti, the daughter of the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has expressed her perspective on her father’s parenting abilities, stating that he was not a good father. However, she emphasized that Fela was an iconic figure and served as a role model.
During a recent conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Yeni revealed that she never directly confronted her father about his parenting shortcomings. Instead, she noted that Fela and his first son, Femi, were frequently engaged in conflicts.
Yeni shared, “He [Fela] was not quite a good father. No [I never told him that he isn’t a good father]. Maybe Femi, not me. Femi and Fela used to have battles. And Femi will give it to him straight.”
She further explained, “Shola and I, we were like timid. You know, they said, ‘When two elephants are fighting, the grass will keep quiet.”
Recalling a particular incident, Yeni recounted, “I can remember one day, Fela just came and said, ‘three of you are useless children’. Femi just said, ‘for what?’ Femi just started facing him and then they started facing each other. Shola and I will say, ‘it’s okay’. Fela will say, ‘No’. And Femi just said, ‘let him go’.
Yeni concluded by reflecting on her own relationship with her father, sharing, “I don’t think I have ever had that kind of confrontation with my father. Maybe because I was a woman
