Yeni Kuti, the Nigerian dancer, has shared a story about how her relationship with a lover was affected by her late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Growing up as Fela's child was not easy for Yeni, but she explains that things have changed now that they are adults.
Yeni recalled an incident where the mother of a guy she liked chased her out of their house, accusing her of wanting to ruin her son's life. The woman warned Yeni never to visit him again.
Furthermore, Yeni also mentioned another incident involving her younger brother, Femi. She explained that Femi had a girlfriend who broke up with him as soon as she found out he was Fela's child. A girl even warned Yeni's cousin to stay away from Fela's family.
Yeni stated, "During that time, people didn't want to associate with us because our father was frequently in and out of jail. However, being Fela's child then and now are two completely different experiences. Back then, it wasn't seen as a positive thing, but now it is. We have gone through a transformation."
She also shared a personal experience of a guy she really liked, but his mother forcefully walked her out of their house. The woman shouted, "Don't come near my son again. You want to destroy my son's life."
Overall, Yeni's account highlights the challenges she faced as Fela's child in the past, but also emphasizes the positive changes that have occurred over time.
Yeni said; “Femi had a girlfriend and immediately they knew he was Fela’s son, they broke up the relationship. A girl warned my cousin never to introduce her to such a type of person [Fela’s family].
“People did not want to know us because at the time he [Fela] was in and out of jail. However, I can say that being Fela’s child then and now are two totally different things. Then it was not really a good thing to be Fela’s child which I did not care about but now it is a good thing. We have been through a phase.
“I remember one guy that I really liked. I mean, I really liked him but his mother walked me out of their house. The woman was yelling, ‘Don’t come near my son again. You want to destroy my son’s life.’”
