Afrobeats singer Made Kuti has revealed that his grandfather, the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, passed away without wealth, despite earning huge sums during his career.
Speaking on the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by Taymesan, Made explained that Fela’s lack of riches was due to his deep generosity and communal way of life.
“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,” he said.
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Made added that Fela’s home, Kalakuta Republic, operated on an open-door policy that allowed strangers to walk in and out freely, which further reflected his selfless lifestyle.
“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,” he said.
He also noted that Fela didn’t allow his own children to address him as “dad” or “father,” as he wanted everyone in the household to be treated equally.
“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 also stated that while Fela was a cultural icon, he received more appreciation overseas than within Nigeria during his lifetime.
“During Fela’s lifetime, he was appreciated more internationally than he was locally,” he said.
Fela died on August 2, 1997, at the age of 58.
