On October 15, 2016, at the Felabration, when Dede Mabiaku’s name came up at the concert meant to celebrate Fela, it elicited anger from Fela’s son and Afrobeat star, Femi Kuti.
Femi was enjoying a performance with veteran singer Daddy Showkey. The duo performed a number of Showkey’s hit songs, including ‘Diana’, and others.
Daddy Showkey, in the spirit of the occasion, asked that Mabiaku be invited to Felabration and immediately, Femi Kuti, changed his countenance and took out time to respond to the request.
In Femi’s words, ‘He claims he’s Fela’s son but anytime we do anything for Fela, he never shows up. We don’t pay anybody to come for Felabration, we just mention Fela’s name and artiste turn up because of their love for Fela. So anybody we wan shakara us make he go die.’
Femi Kuti spoke some more about Dede’s lack of support to Felabration, and how he has not contributed to the movement.
