Yeni Kuti Tells Musicians: “Compare Yourself to Your Peers, Not Fela”

Yeni Kuti, the daughter of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has criticized the common practice of comparing today’s musicians to her late father, arguing it distorts the meaning of a true legacy.

Speaking in an interview on Arise News, Yeni stated that Fela’s enduring influence nearly three decades after his passing is self-evident. She suggested that constant comparisons only serve to devalue genuine artistic greatness.

“If you’re still talking about him 29 years after his death and making comparisons, you’re measuring yourself against someone who has been gone for 29 years,” she remarked.

She advised artists and critics to focus their evaluations within their own generation rather than drawing parallels with historical icons whose places are already secured.

“Compare yourself with your peers and leave him alone. Leave our legends alone,” Yeni urged.

She emphasized that Nigeria possesses its own pantheon of greats and called for respect towards the foundational figures who shaped the nation’s music and cultural heritage.