I’ll marry at 75 – Yeni Kuti

Tofarati Ige

Dancer and daughter of the late Afrobeat originator, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Yeni, has finally answered the question that many have been asking for a long time. She told Sunday Scoop when she would eventually be getting married. She said, “I have a partner and we have started our marriage plans. We would get married when I am 75 years old.”

Kuti also noted that the closure of event centres, including the New Afrikan Shrine, had taken its toll on the entertainment sector. She said, “With this lockdown, I’m broke. Our kind of business is not what one can run online. People have to come to the Shrine to enjoy themselves and that’s when they patronise us.”

The retired dancer also maintained that it was wrong to flaunt luxurious items in the midst of excruciating poverty in the land. She said, “I don’t do that (post flashy things). Even if I can afford it, I am not that kind of person. In a country where so many people are hungry, why should one want to flaunt designer products? You can do that if you are in America where most people are comfortable. I could post a picture of myself dressed up but not wearing designer items. Life is transient. All the things in this world can’t be taken anywhere with one when one dies. Now, we are not even allowed to attend any social gathering, so if one has the best shoes and clothes, one can’t wear them to anywhere.”

She also admonished Nigerians not to feel depressed by whatever they saw on social media. She added, “I don’t think they should feel oppressed. Some people actually post things to make themselves feel good. They too might be having issues in their lives and maybe it is those postings that make them feel better. I don’t think anyone should lead their life based on what others are doing. I don’t do that; I do what I feel is right. One shouldn’t be envious of any other person because you don’t know what the person is going through.”