This interview was conducted in the year 2002, and it has not been published anywhere. Oludolupo Ransome Kuti, Sisi Dolu, as she was fondly called, was the only lady amongst the children of Israel Ransome-Kuti, son of JJ, founder of Rev Kuti Memorial Grammar School, Abeokuta, father of the maverick Children, Olikoye, Beko and Fela. Sisi Dolu also had her iconoclastic disposition. Just like Fela who was sent to England to read Medicine just like her brothers but changed to Music, Sisi Dolu was also sent to England for BA Economics and University of Wales but she

Hello mama Oludolupo, I know you were a trained nurse and you are now retired. How is your life in retirement now?
I am ok. I am satisfied with what I have, you have to make yourself conformable, take the situation as you find it. You don't have to go beyond your boundary. I am satisfied with what I have because I have a great heritage. We were brought up in a disciplined life, my mother was an activist and also an educationist. Daddy founded Rev. Kuti Memorial Grammar school in memory of his father and my father was also a reverend, he worked form 1915-1955 when he died, he worked at Ijebu Ode as the principal of the school, he returned home and worked from 1930 to 1955 when he died.

When he died I was not at home. I was in England from 1942 to 1955. I had known he was ill but I never knew it was that bad. I was determined to come home to help but unfortunate he died and he was buried even before I came. But I did not mind because that is the way they wanted it. Since then, we all individually registered our lives but the only pain is the way my mother died. She should have lived a bit longer to reap the fruit of here labour.

The story of the Kuti family is that the grand-father and father were reverend. But today, it's like the children and grand Children have rebelled against the faith. What is happening?
Well, everybody has his own belief, my brother professor was a professor, doctor and consultant, Beko has his own way, Fela took to music and orisha. But I go to Church; I don't have to broadcast myself.

Let look at the life of your dad before he died. Did he take you people to Church?
It was compulsory. When he was the principal of Ijebu Ode Grammar School, he was so strict with his children. I thank God for his life. My brother Koye and I had the worst of him, both Beko and Fela were spoilt. If any one of them did anything wrong they pushed it to Koye. He was the one who did everything bad. We were all in boarding house. If other had six strokes of the cane, he gave we his children 12. He was like that.

I go to Church, I believe in him. My own religion is the way you act with people, the way you interact. We are disciplinarians in our family. My own Church is in my heart. You don't have to go around saying you are a Christian. So many people open Church when they are carpenters and foolish people still come to them for signs and wonders. Now, it's harder to do carpentry jobs than do Church jobs.

What Church do you attend now?
You see, I go to Church once in a while. I attend the Anglican Church but you see, the CChurches have been ruined. If you go there now, all they gather is money, Owo Ikole (Building fund) Owo Idamewa (tithe) Owo Ore (Offering) end of the month thanksgiving, birthday thanksgiving, wedding thanksgiving, and all sorts., What is that for? If you take five thousand naira to Church, you will finish it. The Church has been ruined. That is not the Anglican Church where I was brought up.

At what point did you think this problem started in the Anglican Church?
About five six years ago. The influence come from these gospel CChurches. Why do praise worship in an Anglican Church? It is an Anglican Church, and we have to follow the Anglican way of doing things. The current Anglicans have spoilt the Church with Praise Worship. That should not be. Praise worship is not an Anglican mode. And when they finished that they begin to talk politics

But Mama, what is wrong with praise and worship. Its in the Bible, the angels do worship God
Look, you worship God in the way you were brought up, the customary way of doing things. Does the Anglican Church do praise worship before?

No
Then why do you do it?

My understanding is that the Anglican Church had top change their mode of worship because they were loosing their youth in droves to the new Pentecostal CChurches. They have top make the Church more interesting….
And if you have to change, it has to be interesting.

How do you make it interesting?
It depends on the reverend. If you go to Ashley Dejo's Church or Sotunde's Church, you will be interested. He is an Anglican. Even in my father's Church. This is common the Pentecostal Church full of these young girls and young men, all they do there is marrying themselves. And all the money the people give the Church, the Church does not give receipts.

Now let us agree that you are a Christian in quote. What about Prof and Beko?
Prof attends the Anglican Cathedrals in Marina Lagos.

What about Beko and Fela? What were your father's reactions to their dispositions to the faith?
Our father had died before they started all these.

And your reactions to it?
That is their belief. They are matured men. I am Ransome-Kuti, Fela is Anikulapo-Kuti

Did you take offence that Fela changed his name to Anikulapo-Kuti?
What is my problem? Everybody mind your own business. If you don't do that, problems starts.

Did you ever ask him how he came about the name Anikulapo?
That is his own business. The fact is my grandfather, Josiah Jesse was an olorisha people, his parents where traditional religious worshippers, but they made him to live with the white men, the missionaries who converted him. He came from Gbagura. May be that was what Fela saw that changed him to traditional region worshipping. I met him but I was young. He died in 1930 but I was born in 1926.

Your grand father composed many Church songs, same for your father…
My father composed school songs like Ise Agbe ni ise Ile wa, Omo Egba E se giri, Lori Oko ati petele. He also composed so many songs for two Alake of Egba, Gbadebo and Ademola 11.

One thing that bothers me is that all over the world, people try to claim their heritage. I wonder why you children are not claiming and promoting all the songs written by your fathers
Who has time? WE are all busy. The Prof is always in Abuja , Beko is into activism, Fela is dead. My daughter, I suppose you know her, Frances Kuboye is dead. So we are all very busy for that.

Mama do you pray in the morning when you wake up?
yes, I do pray.

When my father was the principal of Ijebu Ode Grammar School, he was so strict with his children. I thank God for his life. My brother Koye and I had the worst of him, both Beko and Fela were spoilt. If any one of them did anything wrong they pushed it to Koye. He was the one who did everything bad. We were all in boarding house. If other had six strokes of the cane, he gave we his children 12. He was like that.

Do you sing?
Sing? Who do I sing with? If I want to sing I sing to myself.

You have a hymnbook?
No I know some songs off hand. Religion is in your mind. You don't have to show it outwardly. Those who show it, what good have they done?

Do you read the bible?
I don't have a bible in this house. My bible is in my heart.

Suppose I give you one?
I will take it, and when going to Church, I take it along. After Church, I put it in my portmanteau.

Do you believe in life after life?
Let us take it one step after the other. You have to finish with this world before you start thinking of life after life. The fact of life is what you do here will be spoken about after you are gone.

Mama, this life is a race. We are running to somewhere to receive the crown of life?
What race are you running? You do the good you can do here and when its time for God to say stop, you stop.

What is your idea of Jesus as the Saviour, your idea of God?
I go to Church, I believe in him. My own religion is the way you act with people, the way you interact. We are disciplinarians in our family. My own Church is in my heart. You don't have to go around saying you are a Christian. So many people open Church when they are carpenters and foolish people still come to them for signs and wonders. Now, it's harder to do carpentry jobs than do Church jobs.

Your mum, Fela's mum, Olufunmilayo was called a witch. Do you believe there are witches. Do you think she was?
I don't know. I have not seen a witch before. I suspect they call my mum a witch because she was so strict. She wouldn't take nonsense.