The man who fathered me …A poem for Femi Anikulapo-Kuti

By Damilade Anikulapo-Kuti

The Man who Fathered Me
At a young age, he was cast away.
No one liked him for reasons they didn’t say.
He was criticised and crucified,
For a legacy that was justified.

As he grew older, life became harder,
He saw things that tested his sanity.
One day his life crumbled,
His very home was set aflame, tell me is that humanity?

You see that’s not the only thing,
That tested my father’s resilience,
Women were raped before his eyes.
His grandmother was pushed over a two-story building.
He was beaten to a pulp, his wounds raw.

Again and again his strength was tested,
His teenage wrists felt the metal of cuffs as he was arrested.
He journeyed with Fela to take Funmilayo to the head of state,
Taunts and words of hatred were thrown at their face.
Tell me what was so wrong in honouring the late?

The future he had to think of,
Time was no longer on his side
He taught himself instruments,
Which was critically hard as he had no guide.

Creating a band, making a name for himself,
People weren’t so kind as they devalued his music.
But he wasn’t there for the fame or the wealth,
He was there for the love and the deep rooted compassion he found in his music.

You would think with Fela gone,
They would lessen their hate,
But the light didn’t shine at the break of dawn,
They didn’t give him a clean slate.

My father struggled with the death,
Of not one but many loved ones.
But tears couldn’t fall,
He had to be strong as he was held against a wall.

His sanity was questioned,
Because he was speaking truths,
People were either too afraid or uncouth,
For these truths to be mentioned.

Held in a chokehold by life,
Struggling against all odds to survive.
He was at death’s cruel gates,
When Light decided it wasn’t time to seal his fate.

The clouds were still grey,
People are trying to lead him astray,
But he knew his values and what he stood for,
So like always they failed.

After many, many tries,
The pain and all the cries,
A place was finally built,
To celebrate music without external guilt.

But peace didn’t reign yet,
As they tried to shut down his business,
But his ancestors were praying for him,
So his enemies didn’t succeed.

As we can all see,
My father didn’t have it easy.
If this is not perseverance tell me what is.

This poem is not about everyone in this building
But one person, Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo-Kuti

He is humility personified
His integrity should be certified
His resilience should be told in stories, the youths will read and learn

All the pain, the struggle, the sweat, the tears and the fear that everything would one day come crashing down was not for nothing
You finally built this place with the help of Aunty Yeni and many others
Daddy your dedication and commitment amazes not only me but so many.
You see my father is a simple man, he doesn’t need much
All he asks for is the safety of his family. That he has enough to provide and give us all the best.
Today, i want him to know that his family loves him to death. Look around you Daddy, you have achieved it all and more
Not with arrogance but with humility and integrity. Many others would have given up and taken the bribes that was given to you many times but you stayed true to yourself and honoured your name.
I want you to know that as you perform on this stage every Sunday and go on tour to make money, your efforts are not going to waste.
Your children adore you, your sister adores you, every member of our huge family adores and respects you. All these people that come and are consistent adore you.
You are loved by so many but most of all your family.
So Daddy i stand on this stage with Aunty Yeni and my other wonderful siblings to say Happy birthday and thank you for all you have done and all you continue to do. We love you




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