10. Fela KutiZombie
My dad is in the tourism industry; back in the day, [his friend] told him he liked this Nigerian artist called Fela Kuti. My dad used to listen to ABBA, Bee Gees, they were always playing music at home. So this guy left him this vinyl of Fela Kuti, and he would play it all the time because of the way Fela Kuti was so political, and African jazz wasn’t too much to handle, so he could still get it. I’d see Fela Kuti’s pictures at home, I’d see his records. I’d be listening to his music in the evening, on the weekends, in the background of the house.
My dad still has those vinyl today. He’s a very extroverted, friendly guy. He always tells me to try to help as much as I can, not to ask for what I can get, but for what I can give. Since I was the last-born, I was the favourite son. Because I’m also named after my mum’s dad, he will call me his father-in-law. He would ask for my advice when I was small – he would take me to meetings, I would make business decisions for him. He really gave me all this confidence I have.
One time, they wanted to sell this small piece of land next to a school. My dad was torn because he wanted to buy this other place down the road. This other place was better for him because it was near the school, so the price could go high. I advised him to make this land near the school a shopping centre, because the school is going to have kids and activities around. Don’t build a house and sell it, build a business centre for grocery shops and butcheries, and keep the other place as a rental house. So he kept both of them and ended up making more money. I was nine.
