Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s eldest child, Omoyeni Anikulapo-Kuti, better known as Yeni, has said she wished she had turned 60 years old earlier, due to the overwhelming show of love she got on the celebration of her diamond jubilee.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, she said, “It feels good to be 60 years old, though I don’t feel different from when I was 59. But at 60, I feel more celebrated as a person. I feel lucky and happy with who I am. I am grateful for everyone dear in my life who loves me. I am happy for all the works that I have done thus far that have yielded success. I did not expect such extravagant gifts such as a car and a piece of land from colleagues and well-wishers at all. As a matter of fact, I should not have hosted a birthday party; it was like an anti-climax. I was grateful that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu graced my birthday. I feel that he is a genuine man. I believe he really wants the best for the state. There is no basis for maligning him and I am not at loggerheads with the Lagos State government in any way. When former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, was there, we also had a good relationship with him. He supported the Afrika Shrine.”
Expressing fondness for her grey hair, Yeni said, “I am proud of my grey hair and I love it. I have never dyed my hair. A lot of people did not know I had so much grey hair because I wear scarves a lot. Growing older gives one a wealth of experience.”
When asked how she felt when her father lost out in the race to be inducted into the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Yeni said, “I felt very angry about it. I agree that it gave him more popularity internationally. But, I felt my dad deserved a place in the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As the creator of a genre of music (afrobeat), he deserved it.”
It would be recalled that Fela was nominated alongside Tina Turner, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Todd Rundgren, Dionne Warwick and Carole King. However, only Jay-Z, the Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Todd Rundgren, and Tina Turner were inducted.
Copyright PUNCH.
