Fela: It took death for them to realize they had lost something important – Yeni Kuti

Yeni Kuti, Daughter of legendary Afrobeat Musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti has asserted that the significance of her father was not fully recognized by Nigerians until his passing. In a candid interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Yeni discussed the circumstances surrounding her father’s death. She pointed out that despite the mistreatment Fela received from the Nigerian government and its citizens during his lifetime, his reputation experienced significant growth only after his demise.

“I think ‘their eyes are now clear, suffer don hook us for Nigeria. We have seen that there was at least one person who was singing about the abuse and fighting it.

“Fela used to take out an advert on Daily Times that later became Punch, every Saturday. He would tag it ‘Chief Priest says’, and he will write something about Nigeria. He had a printing press, where he would print and yab all of them. Of course, it took death for them to realize they had lost something important.”

When asked if her father died happily, Yeni said, “That’s a very tough question. I think it’s a tough question because he was quite ill before he died. So, I don’t think someone that was so ill could be happy.

“You know, many things he actually stands against started happening. Sometimes I think it’s even better that he died then because if he didn’t die, he would have died now with the way Nigeria is now.”