I once lost a relationship because I was Fela’s daughter – Yeni Kuti

Yeni, a media personality and the eldest child of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti reminisced about how her connection to her father became a hindrance in one of her past relationships. In a recent interview with Daily Trust, she expressed that being Fela’s offspring was not considered favorable.

The acclaimed singer and dancer also shared an anecdote about a lady who ended her relationship with her younger brother, Femi, upon discovering his relation with Fela Kuti.

She 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.’”