Femi Kuti, popular Nigerian musician has explained why he decided to leave his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s band many years ago.
Femi, who is the first son of the late Afrobeat legend, made the revelation during his recent appearance on the Afropolitan Podcast.
According to him, staying under Fela’s shadow was making it hard for him to find his own path in life.
He said while growing up, people always expected him to become like his father, which put him under a lot of pressure.
“In school, everybody would ask if I was going to be like my dad or play music like him. I was pressured to be like my father,” Femi recalled.
He explained that when he first moved in with Fela after living with his mother for years, his father would dress him in the same way he dressed. This made him look like a “mini Fela.”
“At a point, I realised I needed to find myself fast, or else I was going to be a very unhappy man. That was why I went back to stay with my mother,” the 63-year-old musician said.
Femi added that he eventually formed his own band, but the journey was very tough at the beginning. He noted that many of his father’s fans criticised him, and it was hard to get good press about his work.
“The moment I formed my band, Fela’s fan base descended on me. It was very difficult to find a good write-up about me then because the press hated me. At that time, there was no internet where I could defend myself.
“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 added.