When it comes to calling a spade a spade, Femi Kuti is his father’s son. The eldest son of Afrobeat legend, the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will give you an honest answer to any question.
He has held the fort of Afrobeat since his father’s demise and has earned himself kudos for keeping his father’s legacy alive and flourishing his own career with his Positive Force band. In this interview with thelaurel.com.ng, Femi in his usual forthright manner shed light on certain areas of his private and family life. Excerpts:
Your Dad was an icon in music, you are also a brand in music, are your children also following your career?
My children can decide what they want to be but I will teach them about music, then they will decide the way to go as regards their career. You can’t force people to be musicians or else they will become very unhappy in their life. My children will be encouraged to do what they love. If it’s carpentry, plumbing, they must love what they are doing. When you love what you are doing, then during difficult times you are still happy. But when you don’t love what you are doing, in difficult times, you become very depressed. And every profession has its ups and downs. So, it’s very important that one chooses a profession one truly loves, not what your parents or people force you to do or what you believe you must do because people say you must do it. It has to be your own decision. Even when you become successful, it doesn’t get into your head. You are just enjoying what you are doing. Success must not go into your head.
I understand you don’t attend any church, does that also affect your children?
My children will do what they want to do. As at now, I don’t go to church and they don’t go to church. Their mothers are very religious. If they go to church I care less, if they don’t go to church, I don’t care. I believe that if you put pressure on a child you are making the child unhappy. I’m very liberal. If my child comes home and does not want to do his or her homework, as a father I will not beat you, but I will be a father, advise you to sit down and do your homework instead of playing. Do your homework, and then you can play all you want. These are the kinds of training I give my children. By the time I talk to them very softly, nicely, they will sit down and do their homework. They are aware that I care. I tell them to be on top of their game. My children understand these and they have the freedom to be happy children. I give them as much as I can give them as a father to be happy. I don’t spoil them silly. I just make them happy. I have three boys and three girls. There are other three that I adopted. One just graduated from UNILAG last year.
You are the sit-at-home type. Do you love eating too?
I can eat anything. Rice, lafu or gbegiri.
I annoy people sometimes because when they ask what I would like to eat, I tell them anything. I’m not fussy about food because I will work, work, and get hungry. Just get me anything to eat and I’m okay. I don’t like alcohol and I don’t smoke. I’m very simple. I probably will have a quarter of champagne if it’s a new year or somebody’s birthday and everybody is toasting. I would just take a sip. These days, I only drink water. Years ago, it was Coca-cola, but I don’t drink it anymore. I felt as we are getting older you tend to reduce anything that has to do with sugar.
It is unbelievable that Fela’s son does not smoke
I used to smoke. I smoked everything. I stopped in 1984 because Buhari jailed my father then and the responsibility of holding the band together was enormous and I knew I could not do it having a nonchalant attitude and being high. The only thing I could do was to cut off all these vices of smoking cigarettes and drinking.