In all of this noise, there is Dede Mabioku.
Dede was a faithful, authentic follower of the Fela phenomenon, who was the true reincarnation of the man himself, and he was the first to be given the Wizkid treatment by Fela’s biological scions
Today, I met Dede. He was hidden in one part of the Arisetv studios as I spewed in faux anger to Ruth Osime
Wizkid is phenomenal, I bellowed. Without what Wizkid has done, Afrobeat would go the way of Juju and highlife, which are both literally dead genres
Then he came out. Calm and with dignity. His charisma still bellowing, and I shook
Ruth noticed and laughed. Edgar shebi, you don dey make mouth since, Dede don come oya talk now
True,I couldn’t talk. This man embodied all Fela was and more.
Apart from Fela, he was the first educated within that circle of creative debauchery
His stage persona, rendition, and adaptation best replicates the master.
He was Fela the son, Fela the protegee and deputy abami eda
The world used to open their mouths as he sang – Water, he no get enemy and in some circles, he was said to do it even better than the master.
Just like how Majek’s Redemption Song dusted Marley.
He sat for hours at Fela’s feet, went through deep books with Fela, philosophised with Fela, totally assimilated whatever it is that Fela was and was even more Fela than Fela
He suffered for it. He was the first ‘Wizkid’ , cos he was attacked by these same people attacking attacking Wizkid, harassed, attacked, physically and verbally abused and kicked out of Kalakuta, somewhere he had called home for decades
,But today he has come to defend the legacy he had no biological claim to but was more manifestly imbued than those whose umbilical cords were cut and buried in Kalakuta.
He tried his best during the ,interview went deep and philosophical in explaining the ,Fela allure but I pitied him cos I saw the sadness in his eyes
Too many things to say but wisdom of an elder makes him keep quiet.
The greatest disservice Fela did to his biological inheritors was not sending them to school
This is showing very clearly with the way they are handling the hetitage that they do not understand doesnt belong to them anymore.
If I very reluctantly agree that Fela is all that, then he cannot belong to the Kuti family alone
Same thing I told the Awolowos who said I was jostling with them their inheritance
Awo is a god, far bigger than Ikenne and any attempt to keep him in Ikenne is a disservice to his truth
The interview over, Dede and I stepped out and he spoke. He told me things that millions will never know
He told me things that even made me better understand the Fela mystique than any of his children would
He defended and pushed me suceeded in not allowing me tarnish any part of the Fela aura
Loyal to the end, he even wore a Fela t-shirt invited me over for a deep dive into the Mystique of Anikulapo
Arant self-entitlement by a misguided recently accepted Son whose paternity was in doubt for a bit has led the dragging of the Maestro in such a dishonourable way
This is what those who fight for their paternity do – attempt to bring down the roof.
He will suceed one day
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: January 26, 2026
