The son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian musician, Femi Kuti has confirmed that the music catalogue of Fela Kuti remains fully owned by the family.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Entertainment Tonight show, Femi, the oldest son of Fela and a Grammy-nominated musician, stated that the family maintained overall control but licenses the songs for certain time periods.
According to him, the family is in charge of Fela’s estate, which includes the catalogue.
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“We never sold it. So it’s under the estate, Fela’s estate, which is controlled by the family. But we licensed the music, so we control it,” he said
According to Femi, the decision to retain ownership was strongly influenced by his elder sister, whom he described as the main caretaker, deeply committed to protecting Fela’s legacy. He said she opposed selling the catalogue.
“My elder sister was very against us selling it. She’s like the main caretaker”, he added.
According to Femi, the family believes that maintaining ownership guarantees long-term advantages and upholds dignity. The agreement enables future generations to continue overseeing and respecting Fela’s efforts, he continued.
