Afrobeat Musician,Late Fela Anikulapo’s grandson,Made Kuti has made it known that his late father lived a life of generosity and activism which eventually drained him financially.
In an interview on Taymesan’s podcast, Made Kuti said Fela earned substantial wealth from his music but died poor owing to his open-handed nature.
He revealed that Fela’s home, Kalakuta Republic, was always open to those in need, and he would freely give away his money to anyone who asked.
Made further stated the selflessness was a hallmark of Fela’s life which reflected his commitment to community and equality.
Made said: “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”.
According to Made, Fela’s children were expected to treat him as an equal, forbidden from addressing him as “dad” or “father” to avoid special treatment.
“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,” he added.
After his passing in August 1997, Fela’s legacy as a music icon and champion of human rights endures, inspiring future generations with his message of activism and generousity.