Tanzanian singer Zuchu has shared the painful story of her estranged relationship with her biological father, Othman Soud.
Though her mother attempted to bring them closer, her father showed no interest in having a relationship with a younger Zuchu.
Zuchu explained how her mother, Khadija Kopa, went above and beyond to connect her with her father.
She encouraged him to talk to Zuchu, but he remained distant.
“My mum did everything she could. She would tell him, ‘Zuhura is here; talk to her,’ but he never wanted to,” Zuchu said.
Zuchu: I Only Saw Dad Once from Class 4 to Form 3
Zuchu remembered a heartbreaking moment from Class 4 when she wrote her father a harsh letter out of frustration.
Two days later, he came to see her and gave her 20,000 Tanzanian shillings (about KSh 1,000). That was the only time she saw him until she was in Form 3, almost finishing high school.
Her father had remarried and started another family, which Zuchu said seemed to be his priority.
“I always wanted to have a relationship with him. I knew where his house was, but I knew he had a wife and other kids. At the time, they were more important to him,” she shared.
Even after moving to India to attend University, Zuchu attempted to reconnect with her father by sharing her new number, but he remained uninterested. She would later drop out to pursue her music career.
“He never initiated anything. Even when he lived with my mum, paying for things for me was hard,” she said.
Zuchu’s mother, a legendary Taarab singer, Khadija Kopa, played a pivotal role in her upbringing. She tried to bridge the gap between Zuchu and her father while supporting her career.
Khadija’s late husband, Jaffary Ally, who was not Zuchu’s biological father, passed away in 2013 after a brief illness in Bagamoyo.
Zuchu’s mother also suffered the loss of her only son, Omar Kopa, a talented Taarab singer.
Despite the rejection, Zuchu has risen above the challenges, becoming one of Tanzania’s most celebrated artists.
By Vivian K.