Music artist Made Kuti has made some shocking revelations about his grandfather and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
According to Made, in a recent interview, his grandfather died a poor man even though he made a lot of money during his lifetime.
Explaining the reason for Fela’s financial status at the time of his death, Made said the late singer was excessively generous and ready to give out every penny he owned.
He said, “He was broke. Fela died poor… He had the kind of money that could have bought a whole street, but when he came back from a show in Kalakuta, he would open a box of money and say anyone who needed 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.
“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.”
