Made

                 By Nehru Odeh

Made Kuti, Afrobeat artiste, saxophonist and son of Femi Kuti, has said he doesn’t know if he could have survived the legendary King of Afrobeat Fela Anikulapo Kuti had he been his dad.  The fast-rising Afrobeat musician stated this recently in a joint interview he and Femi had with France 24, a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris.

Fela’s grandson, who like his dad has taken the musical path of the maverick artiste made this statement against the backdrop of the grandfather’s unorthodox and bohemian lifestyle.

According to Made, Fela was not only complex as a father, he never prioritized his children over others as he treated them the way he would outsiders.

“I got the best position because I was not Fela’s son.  I don’t know if I could have survived that.  Because Fela was very complex as a father. He didn’t give them priority of being his children. He always even doubts everything in his household.

“He didn’t even allow them call him dad or father. Everybody had to call him by his first name.  And he treated them equally as he would anybody that came to his house.  So, I don’t how I would have taken that.

However, Made also said he had the benefit of learning from Fela and being inspired by his craft and integrity as a grandson, adding that his father Femi was his biggest influence musically and ideologically because not only has he raised and supported him he has always found a balance between the struggle, his music and family

“Whereas I had the benefit of learning from him ( Fela) and being inspired by his craft and integrity as a grandson.  I have the privilege of having an actual, very good father to raise me up  and support me in my life. He is definitely my biggest influence, musically and ideologically because he has always managed to find a balance between the struggle, his music and family.

“And he always took me on tour with him as a child. I missed so many classes. I missed a lot of classes.  That was probably why I would fail when I was in primary school (laughs), Made said on a humorous note.