Yeni Kuti has shared a little-known story about how her father, the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, found his way into a prestigious music school in London — not through stellar grades, but by a stroke of compassion.
Speaking on the TVC talk show Your View, Yeni revealed that her father didn’t perform particularly well in school, especially when compared to his younger brother, who excelled academically. As a result, their parents, who were deeply invested in education, were hesitant about letting Fela study abroad.
Despite this, Fela’s older siblings were determined to get him to the UK and devised a plan to convince their parents.
“His brother wanted him to stay with him in London, so they lied to their parents that Fela was going to a medical school. That was how he got to England,” Yeni said during the show.
With a passion for music already developing, Fela eventually applied to a music school. However, due to his poor academic records, the odds weren’t in his favour — until the admissions officer took pity on him.
“When he got to the music school, the admission officer said, ‘It’s only because you’ve come a long distance that I’m going to allow you into this school with these results,’” Yeni recounted.
She explained that her father’s acceptance was granted not because of qualifications but because of the journey he had made — a moment she believes helped shape one of Africa’s greatest musical icons.
“That was how Fela even got the music school out of pity. But look at it today, he is a legend,” she concluded.
