Ransome-Kuti family

The Ransome-Kuti family is a Nigerian Yoruba political family noted for its simultaneous contributions to art, religion, education and medicine. The first member to bear the name Ransome, the Reverend Josiah Jesse "J.J." Ransome-Kuti, adopted it in honour of the Anglican missionary that had first converted his family to Christianity.[1] He followed his father Likoye Kuti - an Egba griot - into the musical vocation, and wrote a series of popular hymns in the Yoruba language while serving as an Anglican cleric.

Ransome-Kuti
political family
Ramsome-Kuti family c.1940
Parent houseOodua
Current regionYorubaland
Place of originOrile Igbein, Egba Forest
Founded1830
FounderLikoye Kuti
Titles
Connected familiesJibolu-Taiwo family
Soyinka family
DistinctionsNobel Prize for Literature
Lenin Peace Prize
Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic
Member of the Order of the Niger

The descendants of J.J.'s son, the Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, and Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti include a Health minister (who had also served as a university professor), a political activist (who would himself later be adopted as an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience), and six further musicians (including one that founded and led a political party and two Grammy Award nominees).

The Ransome-Kutis have been known to form marital unions with other families of the Yoruba elite: The branch descended from Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is a sept of the aristocratic Jibolu-Taiwo family of Egbaland by virtue of its descent from her, while the one descended from the Reverend Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, the husband of Grace Eniola Ransome-Kuti, is related to the royal family of Isara-Remo through him.

Family tree
  • Olasu (c. 1750-c. 1820)
    • Jamo (c.1785-c.1850) m. Orukoloku (c.1795-c.1870)
      • Kuti (c.1820–c.1863) m. Anne Ekidan Efupeyin (c. 1830-July 1877)
        • Eruwe Lousia Kuti (c.1857-19??)
        • Josiah Jesse Likoye Ransome-Kuti (1855–1930), clergyman and the first person to use the double-barrelled family name, m. Bertha Erinade Anny Olubi (1862–1934)
          • Josiah Oluyinka Ransome Kuti (1883-c.1960)
          • Anne Lape Iyabode Ransome-Kuti (1885-c.1960)
          • Olufela Daniel Ransome-Kuti (1887-1887)
          • Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (1891–1955), clergyman, m. Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas (1900–1978) (Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti), political activist
            • Olikoye Ransome-Kuti (1927–2003), doctor
            • Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (1938–1997) (Fela Kuti), musician, m. Remilekun Taylor, amongst others
              • Yeni Anikulapo Kuti b. 1961, dancer, m. Femi Segun
                • Rolari Segun b. 1988
              • Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti, b. 1962 (Femi Kuti), musician, m. Funke Kuti, dancer/music manager (now divorced)
                • Omorinmade Anikulapo Kuti, b. 1995, musician
              • Sola Anikulapo Kuti, (1963–1997), dancer
              • Kunle Anikulapo Kuti, b. circa 1971, folk singer, m . Olufunmilayo Hastrup b. 1964
              • Omosalewa Anikulapo Kuti, lawyer, m. Fehintola (1958–2006)
              • Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, b. 1982 (Seun Kuti), musician
              • Motunrayo Anikulapo Kuti, b. 1980, dancer
            • Bekolari Ransome-Kuti (1940–2006), doctor/political activist
            • Dolupo Ransome-Kuti (1922-2010)
              • Frances Kuboye (d. 1997), dentist/jazz singer
          • Joshua Oluremi Ransome-Kuti (1894-c. 1970)
          • Susannah Olubade (1898-1898)
          • Victoria Susannah Tinuade Ransome-Kuti (1899-1980)
          • Azariah Olusegun Orisale Ransome-Kuti (1902–1979)

[2]

References
  1. Sasom, Ian. "Great Dynasties: The Ransome-Kutis". The Guardian.
  2. [https://books.google.com/books? id=c4DWJLgGarsC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=fran+kuboye,+dolupo+kuti&source=bl&ots=nagAT3VkvQ&sig=sD1H_J0oWaObcpgwgUVIFl2r5C0&hl=en&ei=yubHTOP4N5e8jAe6nrVK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Fran Kuboye]

Further reading
  • Gibbs, James (1988). "Biography into Autobiography: Wole Soyinka and the Relatives Who Inhabit 'Ake'". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 26 (3): 517–548. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00011757. JSTOR 160896.
  • Fargion, Janet Topp (12 January 2016). "The Ransome-Kuti Dynasty". The British Library. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  • The Shrine The unofficial website for Fela Kuti and Afrobeat Music, with biographies of Fela, Femi and Seun Kuti.
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