Fela Was Admitted Into Music School Out Of Pity - Yeni Kuti
Yeni Kuti, media personality and daughter of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, recently shared a surprising story about her father’s entry into Trinity College of Music in London.
In a video, Yeni revealed that Fela’s admission in 1958 was not based on academic merit but rather compassion.
She explained that Fela’s parents were initially reluctant to send him abroad due to his average school grades, especially compared to his younger brother, who was a top student.
However, Fela’s older siblings living in London misled their parents into believing that he had gained admission to study medicine.
When Fela arrived in London, he nearly faced rejection from Trinity College of Music because his qualifications did not meet their standards.
Speaking in a recent episode of the TVC programme, Your View, Kuti said, “I want to share a story about my father [Fela].
“When he was in secondary school, you know his parents were academics, so they were pressuring him to study hard. His older brother and sister had gone to university overseas.
“It was him and his younger brother who were with their parents at that time. His younger brother had excellent grades, but Fela was very average. So, his parents didn’t want him to go abroad for studies.
“But his brother wanted him to stay with him in London, so they lied to their parents that Fela was going to a medical school. That was how he got to England.
“They enrolled him in musical school because by time Fela was playing the piano. When he got to the music school, the admission officer said, ‘It’s only because you’ve come a long distance that I’m going to allow you into this school with these results.’ That was how Fela even got the music school out of pity. But look at it today, he is a legend.”
Yeni Kuti, media personality and daughter of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, recently shared a surprising story about her father’s entry into Trinity College of Music in London.
In a video, Yeni revealed that Fela’s admission in 1958 was not based on academic merit but rather compassion.
She explained that Fela’s parents were initially reluctant to send him abroad due to his average school grades, especially compared to his younger brother, who was a top student.
However, Fela’s older siblings living in London misled their parents into believing that he had gained admission to study medicine.
When Fela arrived in London, he nearly faced rejection from Trinity College of Music because his qualifications did not meet their standards.
Speaking in a recent episode of the TVC programme, Your View, Kuti said, “I want to share a story about my father [Fela].
“When he was in secondary school, you know his parents were academics, so they were pressuring him to study hard. His older brother and sister had gone to university overseas.
“It was him and his younger brother who were with their parents at that time. His younger brother had excellent grades, but Fela was very average. So, his parents didn’t want him to go abroad for studies.
“But his brother wanted him to stay with him in London, so they lied to their parents that Fela was going to a medical school. That was how he got to England.
“They enrolled him in musical school because by time Fela was playing the piano. When he got to the music school, the admission officer said, ‘It’s only because you’ve come a long distance that I’m going to allow you into this school with these results.’ That was how Fela even got the music school out of pity. But look at it today, he is a legend.”
