Fela Kuti Was Accepted into Music School out of Sympathy – Yeni Kuti Reveals

Media figure Yeni Kuti has shared an emotional insight about her late father, the legendary Afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, disclosing that he was admitted into Trinity College of Music, London, in 1958 not for merit, but out of sympathy.

According to her, Fela faced academic challenges compared to his siblings, which made their parents hesitant about sending him abroad. She said their parents had preferred that Fela remain in Nigeria due to his poor grades. However, his older siblings, who were already studying in London, tricked their parents by claiming that Fela had been offered a place to study medicine.

Yeni recounted that upon Fela’s arrival in London, Trinity College of Music nearly rejected him because of his substandard academic records. It was only after the admission officer learned that Fela had travelled all the way from Nigeria that he was accepted—purely out of compassion.

While speaking during a recent episode of the Your View show on TVC, Yeni Kuti said:

“I want to tell a story about my father, Fela.

Back in his secondary school days, his parents—both being academics—constantly pushed him to excel. His older siblings were already studying overseas.

At the time, Fela and his younger brother were the only ones still living with their parents. Unlike Fela, who had average academic performance, his younger brother was doing exceptionally well. Their parents, therefore, were against the idea of Fela studying abroad.

But Fela’s older brother insisted on having him in London, so they deceived their parents by saying he had gained admission to a medical school. That’s how Fela found his way to the UK.

They ended up enrolling him in a music institution because Fela was already playing the piano.

When he arrived at the school, the admission officer looked at his results and said, ‘It’s only because you’ve come such a long way that I’ll let you in with these grades.’

So, it was out of pity that he got into the school. And yet, today, he’s an icon.”

Related Post:
Learn more about Fela Kuti’s legacy and influence on Afrobeat via the BBC.

• Biography of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
• Top 10 Afrobeat Artists Influenced by Fela
• How Afrobeat Became a Global Phenomenon
• Interviews with Nigerian Music Icons