Renowned musician Seun Kuti has opened up about the impact of his father Fela Kuti’s death on him, describing it as a significant experience.
In a conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Seun Kuti discussed the unique bond he shared with his father and how their relationship differed from that of his older siblings.
He playfully mentioned that since their father had mellowed over time and become a more laid-back version of himself, he felt sorry for his older siblings, indicating that Fela Kuti had been a different kind of father to him.
Seun Kuti’s comments shed light on the complex and evolving relationship he had with his iconic father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
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 psychological toll that his father’s passing had taken on him, highlighting how difficult it was for him to get over the tragic loss and find closure.
He was the closest person to everyone, so losing him was a whole other level of pain from which he was still recovering. He went on to claim that the loss was so profound for him that he wept for a long time.
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 added that he was on a music tour at the time of his mother’s death, which prevented him from grieving for her in the way that he should have.
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.”
