Fela Did Not Want Me To Have Education Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, who turned 49 last Thursday, spoke about his life, music, the divorce suit against his wife, Funke and other issues

Femi, you are 49, how do you feel?

I feel normal. It is like an ordinary day for me and quite stressful because at times, you have to smile by force, it is no big deal, anyway.

You are approaching 50, do you have any plan for an elaborate celebration next year because this one is held in the Shrine?

I am sure people will make it a very big thing for me because there are some things I cannot control any more.

What are the things?

You know that people will want to celebrate with me. Even if I decide to hold a quiet party, people will not agree with me and I have to oblige. It will get to a stage in one's life that things will go beyond control.

Do you know that you are getting old?

Yes, I am delighted. I don't want to stay forever in this life, I am cool with getting old and also death. I have no problem with life and death because I don't want to stay forever on this planet.

You dissipate so much energy on stage, do you still have much energy at 49?

No, unlike when I was in my 20s. I am sure I cannot go for another 10 years like this, but I am determined and determination has always been my focal point and no matter what, I give my best on stage. I dedicate all my life to music as a performer and like I told you, I am cool with my age at 49. If you told me 20 years ago that I will be so active at 49, I will not believe you because being an entertainer, I have lived a very rugged life. At 49, I still have my base and also able to play my instruments, keeping my band, with my handsome son, have beautiful children and all people that love me for which I am extremely grateful. A performer is not allowed to complain, no matter how. I couldn't rmer sacrifices his joy for other people's happiness and this is my role.

How do you feel at this age being celebrated all over the world?

I am looking forward to my 50th birthday. For the past 10 years, I have been very grateful because most musicians die very young. I am quite fortunate to be 49 and when I look at the kind of life I have lived, I count myself as being quite fortunate. I am fortunate to have a wonderful son, beautiful children and a sister that loves me. I am also fortunate to have people that care for me, no matter how, maybe they want to make me happy, I have no complaints at all.

Do you have any regrets at 49?

None at all, but I wish I had more children when I was much younger.

So you want to have more kids?

Maybe two more, I love children and at this stage, what do I want to live for than to be with my family and bring up children that will be useful in this world. If you don't have children who will continue your legacy? All your hard work will go into wrong hands. But if you have children and train them well, they will sustain your heritage and that of Anikulapo-Kuti. Not just Fela, we are talking from our grand parents, it is a heritage we cannot toy with.

Is that why you adopted some of your children's friends?

I adopted four children because I was making some money and saw poverty around me. I said to myself, what do I do with money than to help people around me more so that they are my children's friends, who did not have what they have in terms of clothes, better opportunities and better education, among other things and I could see that they envy them, yet they are friends and I don't want the children to grow up in a society where they will believe that they are better than other people. I did not want them to live on their father's wealth, so I put them in the same school and I have been taking care of them for about eight years now.

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