Seun Kuti: My success isn’t tied to being Fela’s son

Seun Kuti, the singer, says his success is not tied to being the son of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the late Afrobeat legend.

In an interview with Iyabo Ojo, the actress, Seun dismissed the idea that his family’s success in music is solely due to being Fela’s children.

He added that his family’s musical heritage runs deep and should not be attributed solely to his father.

“It is not because of our dad that we are successful in music. My brother, Femi Kuti is 60. I am 40. My nephew, Made Kuti, is behind us now too, and he is in his 20s. And he is the best of all of us,” he said.

“It is not just because we are Fela’s children. I mean, nobody says Fela is a musician because his father was a musician. Nobody knows that Fela’s father was a musician. My grandfather was a musician. He recorded albums, he wrote a lot of hymns. My great-grandfather was the first person in Nigeria to record a song. We came from a lineage of musicians.

“It is what we are. We are creative people. So, when people say we are successful musicians because we are Fela’s children, they are just being half clever.”

Seun is known for his controversial stance and socially conscious music, addressing socio-political issues in Nigeria and beyond.

The singer has released songs like ‘Bad Man Lighter’, ‘Opposite People’, ‘African Soldier’, ‘Kalakuta Boy’, and ‘Slave Masters’.

He has also received several recognitions for his craft.