Fela’s niece, the late Fran Kuboye being accompanied by her uncle while performing. She and her husband ran the the Jazz 38 Club in Ikoyi, as well as the resident Extended Family Band. The club was a favourite Lagos watering hole from the late 1970s to the '90s. Fran... was a dental surgeon & jazz singer. Tunde, her husband, an Engineer & musician, is the bearded one on the base guitar in this video. Now 79, he’s now a pastor & runs a church. Fran passed away suddenly in 1997 at 48. Her mother was the only Kuti girl, Dolupo. She was between the eldest, Olikoye the professor, and Fela the third child. Beko was the youngest of the four. Fran’s death was one of the three tragedies that befell the family in 1997; Fela, her and Sola, (Femi and Yeni’s younger sister’s) deaths.show more

The Ransome-Kutis were a very close family, supportive of each other. The brothers were extremely fond of their only sister and her daughter, their niece. Fela would often come to perform with the Kuboyes early evening in Ikoyi, & rush back to Ikeja to end the night at his Africa Shrine. Here they endorse her generously on her only album.

*The videos are from a 1992 documentary titled, ‘Fran Kuboye; Portrait of an Artist’, which is available on YouTube:

@araisokun I don't know the date of this performance, but the first time I saw Fẹla in person, up close, was at Jazz 38, in late 1991. Thereafter, I must have sat down with him (and his retinue) about ten times between 1993 and 1995. Thomas Peretu (of Lagos Weekend) also showed up often.

@araisokun Th credit says the docu was shot in 1992.

Nice read & nostalgic. I grew up close to the Kuti’s house in Abeokuta. I saw few of the Kuboye’s band performances on TV in the 1980-90s but didn’t know Fela was very involved with the band. Dolupo (b. 1922) was the eldest of the Kuti’s siblings. Olikoye (b.1927)

Wow! This na pure history lesson. È kù àì ģbà gbè o. Dede Mabiakwu had some good times at jazz 38 too. He always follow Fela back to the shrine after some jams. Egbon Sunmi Smart Cole was also a regular he plays the drums sometimes with Fela & after Fela. That was d good old days

Uncle Sunmi is unlikely to be egbon to you o. At 84, he’s certainly Pa!

Slight correction. Her Mum, Dolupo, was the eldest of the 4 siblings. Koye was born after her and there was almost a 10 year gap before Fela was born.

You might be right, actually.

This is a powerful history of late Fran Kuboye and indeed the Kutis you have succinctly laid out. She was crooning like those jazz singers from 🇺🇸 Southern states. Thanks for sharing sir.