E247mag reports: Afrobeat star Femi Kuti has revealed why he made the bold decision to part ways with his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s legendary band, in a move that shocked many at the time and set him on a lonely but defining path in Nigerian music history.
Speaking on the Afropolitan Podcast, the eldest son of the Afrobeat pioneer explained that leaving his father’s shadow was the only way he could truly become himself. “From school, they used to ask me, ‘Are you going to play music like your father?’ If I wanted to play music, I had to be Femi Kuti,” he said, recalling how people expected him to dress like Fela and act like him, leaving little room for his own identity.
Femi admitted that the decision did not come easy. He returned to his mother’s house, determined to find his own voice. Launching his band was both liberating and punishing. Without social media to tell his story, he faced a barrage of criticism from journalists and Fela’s loyal fans who doubted his ability to succeed outside of his father’s empire.
“Being under my father, I didn’t have any possibility of my own life, including having children. I saw my life in his life,” Femi confessed. His words highlight the heavy burden of carrying the Kuti legacy while trying to forge a personal path in Afrobeat.
The Grammy-nominated musician has since built a solid career of his own, performing on global stages and mentoring younger talents. Today, Femi Kuti is widely respected not just as “Fela’s son” but as an Afrobeat icon in his own right, proving that stepping away from the shrine was the first step toward building his own kingdom in music.