“Why Fela Never Taught Me Anything” — Femi Kuti Speaks on Growing Up with Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Afrobeat icon Femi Kuti recently made headlines with a candid revelation about his childhood under his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s roof. Speaking at the recent book chat event themed around the memoir of his mother, the late Remilekun Kuti, Femi stated bluntly that his father “never taught him anything.” Instead, Fela expected understanding and mastery without instruction a philosophy he also extended to how he treated his children.
Femi explained the stark reality: despite living in a household steeped in music, activism, and creativity, there was no deliberate teaching not even basic reading lessons. Fela would often say, “You should know,” when his children failed to meet what he considered obvious expectations. Rather than formal lessons, Femi claims his education came through observation. He watched Fela as he crafted songs, navigated police raids, battled political oppression, and maintained his uncompromising stance. That constant exposure to resistance, artistry, and reform shaped him even if it wasn’t presented as a structured lesson.
Femi’s admission sheds new light on the complex father-son dynamic between him and Fela. Despite the absence of traditional mentorship, he attributes his resilience, musical passion, and worldview to the environment he grew up in a place charged with creativity, struggle, and uncompromising conviction. In Femi’s words, while Fela never formally taught him, he forced him to learn through observation, survival, and self-initiative.
