By Rotimi Agbana

Seun Kuti, son of late afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has warned musicians claiming to live his father’s musical legacy to stay away.

According to the controversial singer, though Fela’s music is for the listening pleasure of the entire world, his legacies are strictly for his children to protect and nurture because it was only his family that stood by him during the torture he suffered in his lifetime.

“Whatever you think Fela went through, he went through with his family. We were his rock. My mother used to tell me bed time stories about all the scars on her. My step mum, Najite was the first person the soldiers saw in Kalakuta, she was swimming; they picked her up by her head from the pool and broke her neck! My mother had a broken bayonet stitched into her and she couldn’t walk for 18-months.

The amount of state sanctioned violence I have seen in my life as a child. When I was 9 I saw the cops shoot and kill one of my dad’s boys in front of Afrikan Shrine and just left him there for nothing. Fela tried to protect us but you can’t protect anyone from that. You know these fucking cops would come to our house and just shoot up the place at least twice a week?

Do y’all know that? Or you think this is just play? Fela’s music is a gift for the world and everyone is welcome but our legacy is ours alone to protect and nurture. Y’all fakers stay way back. This isn’t your space”, he fumed.