“My daily pocket-money as pupil was bigger than my teacher’s salary” – Seun Kuti

Seun Kuti, a Grammy-nominated singer, has reflected on the fact that his father, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, did not leave him any inheritance due to his generous philanthropy.

Seun shared that his father’s commitment to helping others led him to care for approximately 1000 people within his Kalakuta commune before his passing.

He said,

“When Fela was the top musician in Nigeria, we were living with about 500 people in our house. All the money I was meant to inherit, Fela used it to cater for people.

“Everyone in Kalakuta was receiving daily allowance and weekly salaries. Both Kalakuta and [African] shrine. Almost 1000 people. They were artisans… We had all the professions in Kalakuta.

“My pocket money in 1990, throughout my primary school was N100 per day. My pocket money a day was bigger than my teacher’s salary.”