ZUCHU TALKS REUNITING WITH HER ESTRANGED DAD AND LOSING HER FAVOURITE UNCLE OMAR KOPA

Tanzanian musician Zuchu is opening up about her complex family dynamics, including her estrangement from her father.

In an interview with Wasafi Media, the singer spoke about growing up distant from her dad and instead, her mother’s brother Omar Kopa raised her as his daughter, “I used to love my uncle Omar Kopa so much, I was like his daughter. Growing up my mother was not around and he loved me. The last time I saw him, he took me and his daughter Rukia to the beach.

Then we went to school; he fell sick shortly and died while I doing my class 5 exams, they came to take me home and I was told Omar died. I was young, I couldn’t believe it and it was too difficult. When we were being told they had already buried him, I don’t even know where his grave is. I don’t listen to his songs and when I hear someone playing it, I tell them to switch it off.”

Zuchu adds though his father worked at a near military camp he never used to come and visit or ask about her, “I used to live in Zanzibar with my stepmother which was a walking distance to my dad’s place. He used to pass me with his car, he never said hi or looked for me.

I used to ask my mom for permission to visit my dad and she would wrap foodstuff for me to take to him. One day it was almost Eid al-Fitr and I didn’t have money to celebrate, I wrote to him a harsh letter and he came to visit me and left me some money since then I never saw him.

Until last year during campaigns in Zanzibar, mum told me he was not doing well. We planned for a meeting and I went to see him, we reconciled and we started talking.”