Afrobeat saxophonist and musician Seun Kuti has recently revealed that his father, the late Afrobeat pioneer and socio-political critic Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, did not fight the Nigerian government, but rather, it was contrary to what people and society believed.
Fela was known for using his music to speak against societal worries and bad governance.
Oluwaseun Anikulakpo Kuti popularly known as Seun Kuti is a musician, a singer and songwriter, he also carried on from his late father as the leader of his band ‘Egypt 80’.
In his recent report, he claimed that all his father Fela did, was to fight against the Rich folks and not the government of the country.
“People have a certain kind of misconception about my family and what we have done or what we didn’t”.
“People say Fela fought the government, Fela did not fight the government of Nigeria, He fought the rich folks of Nigeria”.
He said, for a very longtime, he had believed that, his father purchased a Benz, cut out the rooftop and used it to carry vegetables. He said he believed these tale because he grew up, hearing and believing them, until one day someone said it in thier presence to thier hearing aloud and he was surprised.
He also mentioned that, the narration of his fathers story and struggles via his songs, were equally been misunderstood and was seen as a gangster rebel then.
“But back then when colonialism just ended, there were rumors that you sang and talked against government and rebelled against government, all this because they wanted people to think he was mischievous and crazy”.
“Go back and listen to his songs, ‘Akpako, Lady, Swegbe and Ikoyi versus Mushin’ all, an abundance of music calling out and attacking the rich people”.
He stated allegedly, why the rich people of the society teamed up with the government and ganged up against his father. He claimed that whilst the government punished his father physically, the rich folks who owned the media, backed up their activities by fabricating more lies against Fela Kuti.
He stated that the propaganda and agenda of the rich folks then, was to use their wealth and power to gather more false claims against his father so they could justify the series of punishments he was been given.
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