Fela Expected Me To Learn Everything On My Own – Femi Kuti

Grammy-nominated Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti has opened up about the unconventional relationship between him and his late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. He recently revealed that his dad never taught him anything because he expected him to know everything.

Speaking at a Book Chat at the just concluded Ake Arts and Books Festival, which was held at Bon Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, a gathering that was centred on late Fela‘s wife, Remilekun Kuti’s memoir simply titled: “Mrs Kuti,” Femi said that Fela did not even teach him how to read.

According to him, anytime he urged his dad to teach him how to read and write, Fela always asked if he put his brain in his father’s head.

According to Femi, his dad never taught him anything but expected him to know everything, so he ended up learning everything he knows today by watching Fela.

The musician stated that his father just expected everyone close to him to find a way to excel in life without making excuses.

“He (Fela) expected me to know how to read. How is it possible to know how to read if am not taught? If I haven’t got any formal education of any sort, how can I read? But I had to read. ‘You should know,’ he would say. ‘Did you take your brain and put it in my head?’

If you are Fela’s person you had to excel beyond reasonable doubt. You just had to know. So you couldn’t give excuses. If you are somebody he is not close to, he probably would give you an opportunity to explain yourself. But people close to him, it was like, ‘Why did I have to tell you. You should know. You must be getting A in my class,’ for instance, if he was a teacher.

I learnt by just watching him. I would ask questions probably like ‘Are you not afraid to die?’ He would give me his answer. Because there were so many police raids, soldiers, beatings always etc. And I was living with him,” he wrote.

Femi Kuti further noted that rather than scold him whenever he failed at school, all Fela told him was well done.

He concluded by saying that watching his father congratulate him on his failure was always confusing.

“And as I was growing up I would say ‘what’s wrong?’ Going to other people’s houses, children are getting along the conventional way. But if I failed, expecting a very harsh treatment, Fela would say, ‘Ah you failed, Well done.’ So I was in a big dilemma,” he added.