Afrobeat star Femi Kuti has revealed why his family chose not to sell the music catalogue of their father, the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, despite receiving several offers.
In a recent interview with Channels Television, the Grammy-nominated singer explained that the decision was driven by a desire to protect and preserve Fela’s legacy.
Femi Kuti noted that his elder sister, Yeni Kuti, strongly opposed selling the catalogue, describing her as deeply committed to safeguarding their father’s legacy.
However, he added that the family agreed to license Fela’s music to an international company for a limited period.
“We never sold Fela’s catalogue. It is under Fela’s estate controlled by the family. But we licensed the music.
“So, we control it. I don’t know how many years we have left but when it is done, we will take it over and licensed it again,” Kuti explained.
“My elder sister, Yeni Kuti, strongly opposed selling Fela’s catalogue. She is like the caretaker. And we give her the honour as the eldest among us. It doesn’t mean that the rest of us don’t have say, of course.
“But she is very protective of Fela’s legacy so she insisted we don’t sell it. I saw her view immediately and we all agreed. If we had sold it, no royalty would be coming to the family,” he added.
The music incon Femi Kuti said he hopes that their children would follow the standard and protect Fela’s legacy in the future.
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