Tag: Made Kuti

Afrobeats singer Made Kuti has responded to a troll’s ethnic-based insult by promoting unity and criticising tribalism. 

The troll, AdemolaOgudu, attacked Made Kuti for marrying outside the Yoruba tribe, calling it foolish. 

“The face of another foolish Yoruba man who married a useless osu Ibo woman, It will never be well for those of you who are mixing Ibo blood with Yoruba blood,” the troll wrote.

Made Kuti countered by emphasising the importance of African unity and the need to break free from colonial-era mentalities that foster division. 

He encouraged people to educate themselves on African history and the ideals of leaders like Nkrumah and Lumumba, who championed unity and collective progress. 

Made Kuti concluded by urging people to “Free Your Mind” from tribalistic thinking and embrace a more enlightened and unified perspective.

He wrote: “When I saw this post, it didn’t make me angry, I just felt pity for this person. Every one of our great African leaders believed in the importance of African unity because they had faith in the potential of our people to rise intellectually above the structures and limits set by colonial regimes and miseducation. 

“They hoped that we would preserve our culture and traditions and treat each other with love and respect, creating a continent that would support our children with love and joy. This way, they would grow up in a unified continent with collective management of resources, free travel without visa restrictions, shared culture, shared knowledge, and collective growth. 

“Running backwards and believing ethnic superiority/inferiority is justifiable is slave mentality. It means you haven’t fully freed yourself from you nearly 500 years old chains. It means you’re still a victim. 
The healthiest way to free your mind is to read. Enlighten yourself with history and knowledge left by leaders like Nkrumah, Lumumba, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela Kuti and Sankara.. Free Your Mind.

“I thought to leave this here for posterity because I’ve been seeing posts like this (from both sides) for some time now”.

Afrobeats singer Made Kuti has said he values simplicity over material wealth because of his upbringing by his father, legendary musician Femi Kuti.

Speaking during an interview on the Breakdown podcast by Pulse, Kuti questioned the logic behind acquiring multiple cars, describing them as depreciating assets that hold little long-term value.

He noted that he prefers to live on his own terms, placing more importance on personal fulfilment than on the accumulation of material possessions.

Read Also: Collective effort key to Nigeria’s progress – Made Kuti

“I just find it weird to own so many cars,” he said, stressing that materialism isn’t a priority for him.

“I’m the kind of person who just does what he wants. So a lot of my interests are… Maybe my dad was very clever with how he raised us. But the school of thought is, I don’t care much about materialistic things. For example, how many cars do you need to drive? I genuinely don’t understand why you need 7, 8 cars. They are depreciating assets. In the next couple of years, they will depreciate.

“So, it’s weird to me, but it’s interesting to another person”, he said.

Grammy-nominated Afrobeats singer Made Kuti has expressed doubts about the impact of individual activism in effecting lasting change in Nigeria, citing his family’s long history of advocacy and the personal sacrifices it has entailed.

In an interview on the ‘Breakdown’ podcast by Pulse, Made, grandson of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and great-grandson of activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, said he has seen the toll activism can take on a family.

While acknowledging the need to contribute to positive change, Made stressed that he prefers a collective approach over lone efforts. “My family has already given a lot,” he said, adding that he is not willing to compromise the well-being of his loved ones in the name of activism.

He affirmed his commitment to societal improvement but maintained that real progress will only come when a critical mass of Nigerians work together toward a shared goal.

Kuti said, “A lot of people, including myself, act on our feelings. When you look at Nigeria and you see how many years Fela fought. My dad (Femi Kuti) fought. Uncle Seun [Seun Kuti] is speaking out now. Everybody [in my family]. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti; they threw her from a seven-story building. She was a righteous person who was so dedicated to the growth of Africa. She risked her life for everything. They killed her for it.

Read Also: Made Kuti takes Afrikan Shrine to The Good Village

“You might reflect and just say, ‘Well, what’s the point of it [fighting for better governance] if all these people couldn’t bring change? What’s the chance that my song or my performance can really bring change?’

“But, I truly believe that it’s not so much in the power of the individual, it’s the power of the collective. I believe that it’s when the right amount of people at the right time do the right thing that’s what can create the spark for change. But whether or not it will be in my lifetime, I don’t know. I’m not an idealist. But I do believe that everybody has to play a part for the country to be better. We cannot keep expecting what we didn’t deliver. For me, I play my part. I want to live my life knowing that I do what I have to do. Because I want to have children and I want to be able to look them in the eyes and say, ‘I did my best…

“Selflessness, I’m very careful with that. Giving and getting nothing in return. I’m of the opinion that we (Kuti’s family) have done enough already. And I’ve really no interest in activism. I’m happy to be on the right side of history, but not at the cost of the well-being of my family and the people around me.”