Yeni Kuti, the daughter of the late afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has revealed that initially, she and her siblings rejected the decision of their uncle, Dr. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, to publicly announce that Fela died of AIDS. However, they later accepted the decision after persuasion from other family members.
During a recent conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Yeni shared that at the time, they disagreed with their uncle’s intention to disclose Fela’s cause of death. The family had received the diagnosis of AIDS before Dr. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti arrived, and he intended to announce it to the press. Yeni, along with her siblings Femi and Shola, believed that Fela would survive and felt it was not their uncle’s place to reveal the diagnosis. They requested that the announcement be withheld unless Fela recovered. However, when Fela passed away, the family realized the significance of their uncle’s decision.
Yeni explained that the family initially quarreled with Dr. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, but other family members convinced them that it was better to be honest and transparent about Fela’s cause of death. They recognized that if the truth were not disclosed, there would always be speculation and rumors surrounding Fela’s demise.
In retrospect, Yeni acknowledged that her uncle’s decision to announce that Fela died of AIDS was the best course of action. It put an end to ongoing questions about the cause of the legendary musician’s death and allowed the family to move forward without enduring constant speculation.