PM NEWS
By Nehru Odeh
Two prominent members of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s family, Yeni and Seun Kuti, have responded to Baba Ani’s allegation against Femi Kuti, giving the lie to what they regard as an attempt to divide their family.
They stopped short of calling him a bloody liar.
Lekan Animashaun, aka Baba Ani and former Fela’s band manager who recently celebrated his 85th birthday, had alleged in an interview with Arise TV that Femi barred him from entering The New Afrika Shrine because he refused to join his (Femi’s) band. Baba Ani said he preferred to work with Seun since Femi was not someone he would love to work with.
His words: “I was banned from entering the shrine by Femi. When Fela died, and Beko, who was then the manager of the band, was in prison. On two occasions, Femi called me privately, asking me if I was going to join him, or his uncle and Seun. So, I told him that you are the most senior son of Fela, and everything Fela left behind is in your hands. I was not cool with the questions.
“As time went by, he saw that I was more with Seun and the Egypt 80 band… Mind you, this is a young man I know very well. So, I decided to go with Seun. I was mentoring Seun, even before Fela died. So, I think that was my offense.
“The very first day at the Egypt 80 band, because there was a quarrel and they had to go to court, the judge in charge of the case settled the matter in the chambers, and somewhere along the line, Seun was asked to start coming to play at the shrine.
“On the very first day the band was going to play there, I got to Kalakuta, Fela’s house in Ikeja. I went upstairs to meet Seun and he told me he wouldn’t like me to be present at the show. I asked why, he said anytime he was discussing with his egbons (sic), and he mentioned his name, what they used to say was unprintable. So, please don’t go with the band, and he assured me that I would be paid regardless.
“When he got to the shrine that night, they went upstairs in his office to greet him, and he was so annoyed. Looking for his gun. He started to hurl insults at me. Somewhere along with his rant, he told the boys to tell me not to show my face at the shrine anytime. Since that time, I had not gone there as well, I was banned from entering the shrine.”
