Meet Shalewa Kuti, Fela Kuti's daughter and all her siblings
Shalewa Kuti is a Nigerian lawyer and musical artist. She is widely recognised as the daughter of the late Nigerian musician, composer, bandleader, political activist, and Pan-Africanist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Her father is widely known as the "King of Afrobeat", and some of his songs of all time include Coffin for Head of State, No Agreement, and Africa Centre of the World.
Source: UGC
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Shalewa Kuti’s father was born on 15 October 1938 in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria. His daughter has followed in his musical path but with a twist as a DJ, known by the stage name Dj Shaarks.
Profile summary
| Full name | Shalewa Kuti |
| Stage name | Dj Shaarks |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 14 October 1976 |
| Age | 48 years old (as of May 2024) |
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Father | Fela Kuti |
| Mother | Adefunmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti |
| Siblings | 7 |
| Relationship status | Single |
| Profession | Lawyer, DJ, producer |
Who is Shalewa Kuti?
Shalewa Kuti was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Who is Shalewa Kuti’s mother? Her mom was a nursing sister named Adefunmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti.
The Nigerian lawyer is 48 years old as of 2024. She was born on 14 October 1976.
How many children did Fela Kuti give birth to?
The late Afrobeat singer had seven children. Besides Shalewa, Fela Kuti's children are Yeni, Femi, Sola, Seun, Made, Motunrayo, and Kunle Kuti. Here are more details about them.
1. Yeni Kuti
Source: UGC
Ọmọ́yẹni "Yeni" Aníkúlápó Kútì is a Nigerian-born British singer, dancer, journalist, and businesswoman. She is the first child of the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Fela was born on 24 May 1961 in England, United Kingdom. Her mother is Remilekun Taylor.
Yeni graduated from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism with a diploma in journalism. In 1986, she joined her father’s band as a singer and dancer after dropping her job as a fashion designer. Yeni is the founder of New Afrika Shrine, an open-air entertainment centre located in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Does Yeni Kuti have children? Yeni Kuti has a child named Rolari Segun. Rolari ‘s father is the late broadcaster Femi Segun. Yeni’s daughter married Benedict Jacka, an Australian, at the African Shrine on 27 June 2015 in Agidingbi, Ikeja.
2. Femi
Source: UGC
Femi, born Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti, is a Nigerian musician. He was born on 16 June 1962 in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Fela Kuti and the grandson of a political campaigner, women's rights activist, and traditional aristocrat Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Femi Kuti started his musical journey by performing alongside his father in the Egypt 80 band. However, in 1986, he took a bold step and formed his band, Positive Force, marking the beginning of his unique artistic path separate from his father's legacy. Some of his famous songs include Beng Beng Beng, Truth Don Die, Sorry Sorry, Dem Bobo, and Na Their Way Be That.
3. Sola Kuti
Source: UGC
Sola Kuti, a dancer, was Fela Kuti's second daufgter, born in 1963. She was born to Fela and his first wife, Remilekun Taylor. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1997, months after her father’s demise.
What was Sola Kuti’s cause of death? According to a Femi Anikulapo-Kuti Facebook post, she died after being wrongly diagnosed.
Today, We remember my beautiful younger sister Sola, who was wrongfully diagnosed and passed away in 1997 (we shall NEVER forget). We miss you, we love you, always in our thoughts and prayers. (She was an Angel)
4. Seun Kuti
Source: UGC
Like his father, Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician and singer. He was born on 11 January 1983 and briefly studied music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in England. His popular songs include Black Woman, Opposite People, African Dreams, Mosquito Song, African Smoke, and Think Africa.
5. Made
Omorinmade Kuti, known as Made, was born to Femi and Funke Kuti on 26 September 1995. He was raised in The New Afrika Shrine, where he learned to play multiple musical instruments as early as 3.
Made studied music at Uxbridge College, Hayes Campus, and later attended Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London. Some of his popular songs include Free Your Mind, Different Streets, Young Lady, New Dimension and We Are Strong.
6. Motunrayo Anikulapo Kuti
Source: UGC
Motunrayo Anikulapo Kuti, born in 1980, used to dance with Femi’s The Positive Force band. She is married to Juwon Bakare and has two children.
7. Kunle Anikulapo Kuti
Kunle Anikulapo Kuti was born to the legendary Afrobeat singer in 1971. Like his father, Kunle is a singer. He oversees operations at the Kalakuta Museum, established in 2012 by Kunle's elder sister, Yeni, and architect Theo Lawson. The museum offers visitors a special glimpse into Fela's life and legacy.
What caused Fela Kuti’s death?
The legendary Afrobeat singer’s death was allegedly linked to heart failure caused by AIDS. Closer to his death, Fela Kuti had characteristic skin lesions that are found on the skin of AIDS patients.
His death was announced by his brother, Ransome-Kuti, who is a former health minister, on 3 August 1977. The news immediately raised questions as he allegedly married 27 wives, many of whom were dancers, composers, and singers he worked with.
Source: Getty Images
However, there are other allegations stating that the legendary singer did not succumb to AIDS as earlier believed. According to Sahara Reporters, Dede Mabiaku, a close friend of the late musician, said that the legendary singer allegedly died from a lethal injection by the Nigerian Government and not from HIV/AIDS as speculated.
NDLEA, that’s where they injected him while he was in their custody. And I’m bold to say it today. Why no one has raised this matter since then is what I don’t know. I’ve waited for long for people to say this thing. I’ve waited for 22 years. He never knew what they injected him with. He just felt something and asked us whether we’ve seen him sleep face-down before, and we said no.
He added:
And he asked us how come it happened, showing us his side and saying he feels like he was injected with something. Many things happen, we've heard of Abiola's case. We need to be real with ourselves. It's time for a human revolution. We need to change our thought process and our attitude to what we are — Africans. I want us all to remember these things.
Is Jaiye Kuti related to Fela Kuti?
Many believe that Jaiye is the daughter of the late Afrobeats singer Fela Kuti. However, this is untrue, as the two only share a surname.
Jaiye is a Nigerian businesswoman, actress, and film producer. She is popularly known as the CEO of Jaylex Aesthetic Production, a company specialising in television and film production.
FAQs
- What is Shalewa Kuti’s age? The Nigerian lawyer is 48 years old as of 2024. She was born on 14 October 1976.
- What tribe was Fela Kuti? His family belonged to the Egba branch of the Yoruba tribe.
- Who was Fela Kuti’s first wife? The prominent Afrobeat singer’s first wife was Remilekun (Remi) Taylor.
- Is Yeni Kuti Fela's daughter? Yeni is Fela’s eldest daughter, born on 24 May 1961.
- Who is Shalewa Kuti’s mother? Her mom was a nursing sister named Adefunmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti.
- Is Femi Kuti related to Fela Kuti? Femi Kuti is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
- Who was Fela Kuti’s first wife? The musician’s first wife was Remilekun (Remi) Taylor.
- How many children did Fela Kuti give birth to? The legendary singer gave birth to a total of 8 children.
- Where is Fela’s grave? The legendary singer is buried in the Kalakuta Cemetery in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Fela's son Kunle manages the Kalakuta Museum.
Shalewa Kuti is a Nigerian lawyer and musical artist best known as Fela Kuti’s daughter. Her father is a legendary late singer widely known as the "King of Afrobeat".
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