Seun Kuti, the son of legendary Afro beat singer Fela as giving insight on how he managed life after losing his father.
The connection between Afrobeats artist Seun Kuti and his deceased father, the renowned musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, was sought to be a very interesting one, Seun Kuti equated the experience to the simultaneous loss of a parent, friend, and family member.
During a conversation with esteemed media figure Chude Jideonwo, Seun discussed the distinctive aspects of his relationship with his father compared to that of his older siblings.
In a lighthearted manner, he expressed sympathy for his older brothers, as their father had transformed into a changed individual from the moment of their birth, someone who was more at ease.
He said: “Fela was a model father; he was very different from the stories I heard of my elder ones. I feel bad for them. I can’t lie.”
“I tell them all the time, I enjoyed it for you guys. Trust me, I held it down. I did not slack.”
“By the time he had me, he was 44; he was always home, so my relationship with him was very different from that of my siblings very, very different. I know that for a fact”.
Seun discussed the emotional burden that the passing of his father had imposed upon him, underscoring the immense difficulty he faced in overcoming the profound grief and seeking solace.
Given that he was cherished by all, his absence inflicted a unique form of anguish that he is still in the process of recovering from. He further expressed that he shed tears for an extended period as the loss had a profound impact on him.
Seun said: “I grieved for my dad because he was the closest person to me, and he was the first person I know that died, so for me, it was a really impactful experience losing my dad; it was like losing my best friend, my dad, and a family member, all in one. I really grieved for a long time. I grieved for my dad.”
He went on to say that he was unable to properly grieve for his mother because he was on a music tour at the time of her passing.
In his words: “The one I didn’t grieve was my mom. I had a tour. There was no time to break down.”
“If I’m going to share some of my mental issues on your show, it’s like I think I’m grieving my mom in stages; kind of, I’ve not really had time to really delve into that, but the bad part is past, and I still grieve her from time to time. I don’t have complete closure for my mom like I do for my dad.”
