Award-winning Nigerian dancer and choreographer, Kafayat Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, has opened up about her difficult childhood, revealing how her parents went from riches to rags.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Honest Bunch Podcast, the 45-year-old dance icon shared how her once affluent family lost everything, forcing her to grow up in hardship despite being born into luxury.
Kaffy said her parents, Alhaji Shafau and Alhaja Alake Lakonko, were once among the high-profile socialites of Lagos, describing them as being “in the league of MKO Abiola,” the late billionaire politician. According to her, their home frequently hosted legendary musicians such as King Sunny Ade, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, and Ebenezer Obey at the height of their wealth.
“My parents were in the league of MKO Abiola. They were the first people to spray dollars at parties. You would hear Sunny Ade and Barrister sing their praises. These people came to our house every weekend,” she recounted.
But things took a drastic turn, leading to financial collapse. Her father later relocated to London, where he took up work as a cleaner to survive.
Kaffy revealed that the sudden fall from grace had a profound effect on her and her siblings, as they endured hunger and deprivation.
“There were times when there was no food for weeks and months. Hunger is a mentor. I drank garri for seven months without break, and there was no Kwashiorkor,” she said.
She also disclosed that the pressure and trauma deeply affected her mother, who sometimes suffered psychotic breaks and projected her frustrations onto her children.
“She would have psychotic breaks and put all of us in the centre of the house, saying, ‘You are the reason why… your destiny should start providing for me because you’re the reason I am not anywhere in my life,’” she revealed.
Despite these struggles, Kaffy has gone on to build an illustrious career as one of Nigeria’s most successful dancers and choreographers, inspiring many with her resilience and groundbreaking work in the entertainment industry.
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