Femi Kuti has revealed that the family of late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti turned down multiple offers to sell his music catalogue, insisting that protecting his legacy was the main reason behind the decision.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Femi Kuti said the catalogue remains under Fela’s estate and is still controlled by the family, though parts of it have been licensed to foreign companies for a limited period.
He explained that the arrangement allows the family to retain full ownership while generating royalties from controlled usage of the music.
“We never sold Fela’s catalogue. It is under Fela’s estate controlled by the family. But we licensed the music,” he said.
“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.”
Femi Kuti added that the strongest opposition to selling the catalogue came from his elder sister, Yeni Kuti, who he described as highly protective of their father’s legacy.
“My elder sister, Yeni Kuti, strongly opposed selling Fela’s catalogue. She is like the caretaker,” he said.
“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.”
He noted that her position influenced the rest of the family, leading to a collective agreement to preserve ownership rather than sell it outright.
“But she is very protective of Fela’s legacy so she insisted we don’t sell. I saw her view immediately and we all agreed,” he said.
“If we had sold it, no royalty would be coming to the family.”
Femi Kuti added that the family hopes future generations will continue to manage the catalogue responsibly and protect Fela’s musical legacy.
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