Femi Kuti, renowned Nigerian musician and eldest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has opened up on why he left his father’s band.
Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Femi explained that the decision was driven by his desire to find his own identity.
“Growing up, everyone kept pressuring me to be like my dad. If I wanted to play music, I had to be Femi Kuti, not Fela. I realised early that if I didn’t carve my own path, I would end up very unhappy,” he said.
He recalled how, while living with his father, he often dressed like him and was treated as a “mini Fela.” But soon, he decided to return to his mother to avoid losing himself.
Femi noted that forming his own band came with heavy criticism. “My father’s fan base descended on me. It was very difficult to get a good write-up back then because the press hated me, and there was no internet to defend myself,” he added.
According to him, staying under Fela left him with “no possibility of having my own life, even in personal matters like raising a family. I saw my life tied completely to his.”
The 63-year-old said leaving the band was the only way to embrace his individuality and truly become himself.
