From Pity To Legend! Yeni Kuti Reveals Fela’s Humble Start At Music School

Nigerian media personality Yeni Kuti has disclosed that her late father and legendary pioneer of Afrobeats, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was admitted into Trinity College of Music in London in 1958, not because of merit, but out of sympathy.

Speaking during a recent episode of the TVC programme ‘Your View’, Yeni revealed that Fela had the weakest academic performance among his siblings.

According to her, due to Fela’s poor grades, their parents initially opposed the idea of sending him abroad. However, Fela’s older siblings, already living in London, misled their parents by claiming he had been accepted to study medicine.

Upon arriving in London, Fela attempted to enroll in the Trinity College of Music. Although the school was hesitant due to his subpar qualifications, the admission officer ultimately allowed him in, saying it was only because he had travelled such a long distance.

Yeni said:

“I want to share a story about my father, Fela. His parents were academics and pushed him to study hard. But Fela was average, unlike his younger brother who had excellent grades. His parents didn’t want him to study abroad. His older siblings lied that he was going to medical school in London. Instead, they enrolled him in music school because he was already playing the piano. The admission officer told him, ‘It’s only because you’ve come a long way that I’m admitting you with these results.’ That’s how Fela got in — out of pity. But look at him now — he became a legend.”