Femi Kuti realised early on that bearing the Kuti name came with burdens. Speaking to Big Issue from his hotel room in Glasgow, the Afrobeat icon recalls how his father’s reputation shaped his childhood. “In school, I fought every day. Rich kids would insult my father, and teachers who disliked him beat me. I can never forget those beatings, I still remember the faces,” he says.
His father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, was a revolutionary force in music and activism. The pioneer of Afrobeat, a powerful fusion of US funk, jazz, blues, salsa, Ghanaian highlife, and Yoruba rhythms, Fela led Africa 70 in pulsating all-night sessions at The Shrine in Lagos. Stars like Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney flocked there, drawn to his sonic rebellion.
Fela’s music was unflinching, lashing out at government corruption and human rights abuses in Nigeria. His protest songs won hearts but drew persecution. He was arrested over 200 times and endured frequent police brutality. In 1978, tragedy struck when soldiers threw Fela’s mother, Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a respected human rights advocate, out of a window during a raid. She later died from her injuries. Fela’s protest was deeply symbolic: he delivered her coffin to the main army barracks.
Breaking Away to Find His Voice
Despite the risks, Femi was determined to follow in his father’s footsteps. “I first picked up a trumpet at eight. I had the passion, but why didn’t my father teach me or get me a teacher?” he reflects. “That question has driven me to work harder to shape my own identity.”
At 15, he began learning the saxophone on his own. By 17, he had joined Fela’s new band, Egypt 80. Touring internationally, he was immersed in activism and artistry, witnessing firsthand the pressure his father faced. When Fela was jailed in 1984 on dubious currency charges, Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience. He was released after 20 months.
In 1986, Femi made a bold break. He formed his own band, Positive Force, a decision he describes as life-changing. “If I hadn’t, I’d have been lost. People said, ‘That was brave.’ In our culture, you don’t disobey your father, especially one like mine.”
Initially, Femi’s move was met with resistance in Nigeria, including from Fela himself. But European audiences embraced him. Relentless touring helped him build his own following. His 1995 single “Wonder Wonder” became an international hit, though many wrongly credited Fela. “They said Fela wrote it. But when Shoki Shoki came out in 1998, he was gone, so they couldn’t say that anymore.”
Fela passed away in 1997 from heart failure caused by AIDS complications. As the Kuti family’s new figurehead, Femi ramped up his tours to sustain the legacy. In 2000, alongside his sister Yeni, he founded the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, reviving the spirit of his father’s club. Despite ongoing police harassment, the venue thrived.
Music as Resistance and Healing
With growing frustration at Africa’s political stagnation, Femi returned to the trumpet. “I was angry. Europe was progressing, and Nigeria was falling behind. I couldn’t carry a gun, but the trumpet became my weapon,” he says. “It was like an Uzi. I used it to fire off my frustration.”
His message resonates worldwide. “Corruption isn’t just an African issue, it’s universal. People everywhere can connect to that.”
In 2021, Femi collaborated with his son Made Kuti on the Legacy+ album. “I’ve always wanted him to surpass me. If he doesn’t, I’ve failed,” he says. “He must be armed for the battles ahead.”
Femi’s latest album, Journey Through Life, continues his fearless commentary. The track “Politics Don Expose Them” tackles hypocrisy, while “After 24 Years” calls out Nigerian political failures. Yet the album also reveals new depth, with songs like “Work on Myself” and the uplifting title track exploring family, self-improvement and community.
“Later in life, you either die lonely or surrounded by what truly matters,” Femi reflects. “Family is everything. Life’s about bettering yourself, daily discipline, spiritual understanding, being a good parent. It’s not about religion, it’s about morals and purpose.”
Hours after the interview, Femi and his dynamic band take the stage at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. Designed for classical music, the venue soon erupts with dancers of all ages, moved by the rhythmic energy. The calm, reflective man from earlier becomes a magnetic frontman, radiating intensity.
“Maybe it’s the chaos in my life. Maybe the audience feels that energy,” he muses. “If you’ve lived through struggle, you express that. My sound reflects my life. And now, I’ve found it.”
Journey Through Life by Femi Kuti is available now via Partisan Records.
