Afrobeat star Femi Kuti has reflected on his journey of growing up in the shadow of his father, the legendary Fela Kuti, and carving out his own identity in music.
Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Femi described the constant pressure he faced from an early age:
“In school, at the bus stop, everywhere — people would ask, ‘Are you not going to be like your father? Won’t you play music?’ The pressure was too much. You must be like your father.”
He said the turning point came when he realized he could never be anyone else — not Charlie Parker, not John Coltrane, and certainly not Fela:
“If God wanted me to be Fela, I would have been Fela. I had to be Femi Kuti.”
Femi recalled a period when he lived with his father and even dressed like him, but eventually chose to step away and form his own band — a move that sparked heavy criticism.
“His fan base descended on me. They hated me. The press hated me. There was no internet then, so I couldn’t even defend myself.”
He also credited his grandmother for giving him a reality check at a crucial moment:
“She said, ‘What kind of lousy musician are you? You’ve been here for two weeks and you haven’t picked up your horn.’ I cried all night. But those words saved my life.”
Looking back, Femi said the struggle was essential in defining his own path:
“I had to feel my pain. I had to strive for my own success. Being under my father’s roof, I couldn’t even see that dream.”
