Fela died poor – Grandson Made Kuti

Music artist Made Kuti has claimed that his grandfather and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, died poor.

Speaking in a recent episode of the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor Taymesan, Kuti explained that Fela made a lot of money during his lifetime but died broke because he was excessively generous.

“He was broke. Fela died poor… He had the kind of money that could have bought a whole street, but when he comes back from a show in Kalakuta, he will open a box of money and say anyone who needs it should take it. Anybody from the street could walk into Fela’s house. It was an open house policy, anybody could walk in and walk out at any time,” he said.

“His children were not allowed to call him ‘dad’ or ‘father’ because he didn’t want any preferential treatment for them. Everybody was equal in Kalakuta.”

Made Kuti also claimed that “during Fela’s lifetime, he was appreciated more internationally than he was locally.”

DAILY POST recalls that Fela died on August 2, 1997, at the age of 58.