Femi Kuti has clarified why the music catalogue of his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was never sold and, according to him, never will be.
Speaking in a recent interview on Channels Television, Femi addressed long-standing speculation surrounding ownership of Fela’s music, stressing that the estate remains firmly under family control. “We never sold it,” he said. “Fela’s estate, which is controlled by the family, controls it. But we licensed the music, so we control it. I don’t know how many more years we have right now, but when the years are done, we’ll take it over and license it again.”
He explained that the family’s strategy has always been to license the catalogue for limited periods rather than sell it outright, ensuring long-term ownership and recurring revenue. Once agreements expire, full control returns to the estate.
Central to that decision is Yeni Kuti, whom Femi described as the custodian of their father’s legacy. “She’s like the main caretaker, and we give her honour as she is the eldest,” he said. “She is very protective of Fela’s legacy, and she insisted we don’t sell. I saw her view immediately, and we all agreed. If we had sold, we would have been done by now; nothing would have been coming to the family.”
Femi framed the decision as both financial and cultural. “It will always be in the hands of the family,” he said. “And I hope even after us, our children will understand how we have maintained dignity and integrity with Fela’s legacy and do the same honour to him after we leave this life.”
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