Grammy-nominated Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has stated that some of his family’s greatest enemies are members of their own ethnic group, the Yoruba.

Speaking at the 2024 Felaberation Festival in Lagos, he specifically mentioned former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late business mogul, MKO Abiola, as significant adversaries of the Kuti family.

He explained that his family does not adhere to tribalism as they were inspired by pan-Africanists during their upbringing.

“Brothers and sisters, something very important is going on in our lives; ethnic problems. You call it tribalism. Please, do not bring the Anikulapos in your stupidity,” he said.

“We grew up with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

“Pan-Africanism was the order of the day. So, I didn’t grow up being sentimental. I saw good people, bad people. I’ve got great European friends, I’ve got terrible European friends. I’ve got great African friends, I’ve got terrible African friends.

“One of our [the Kuti family’s] greatest enemies as you know are Yoruba people; Obasanjo or Abiola. We are not tribalistic in our family.NPFL: Finidi downplays Rivers United’s win at Nasarawa

Glastonbury Festival’s organizers has revealed that fast-rising Nigerian pop star Tems, who recently released her debut album, and multiple Grammy Awards nominees Femi Kuti will perform at the 2024 edition of the event taking place at Somerset, England, later this month.

Tems and Kuti will join their countryman, Burna Boy, as one of the acts of the five day event, which will be headlined by Coldplay, SZA, and Dua Lipa. The festival will also feature country pop icon Shania Twain with her performance coming up during the Sunday teatime “legend” slot as well as multiple award winning singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper on what will likely be one of her final stage performances.

Lauper recently announced her farewell tour, spanning 23 US cities, after which she plans to retire from the road.

Funke Kuti, CEO of FK Management, the company handling the show, said, “it has become a usual feature in recent times to see a feature of Made on a Femi Kuti set while the latter is on tour, and Femi has also featured in all Made’s concerts in and outside of the New Afrika Shrine”.

“This concert will be their first co-headlined show after their joint Grammy Nominations. A show that seeks to bring to home of Afrobeat the old and the newly converted followers of Afrobeat”, she went on.

Made has been performing along with his father, Femi since he was a boy but started getting featured at his father’s performances on completion of his education in London. Clearly, this family of musicians are truly the descendants of the King of Afrobeats, Fela Kuti.