‘He Was a Sweet Father’: Prince Nico Mbarga’s Daughter Relives Painful Memories of ‘Sweet Mother’ Crooner
‘He Was a Sweet Father’: Prince Nico Mbarga’s Daughter Relives Painful Memories of ‘Sweet Mother’ Crooner
To millions of music lovers across Africa, Prince Nico Mbarga was the legendary musician behind the timeless hit “Sweet Mother.” But to his daughter, Estelle Mbarga, he was not a superstar — he was simply her beloved father.
In a deeply emotional tribute, Estelle recalled the special bond she shared with the late music icon, describing him as a loving father who always made her feel like the most special girl in the world.
As a young girl, Estelle said she did not understand why crowds shouted her father’s name or why so many people admired him. To her, he was simply “Daddy” — the man whose smile lit up whenever he saw her.
She recalled staying awake deep into the night, often between 3am and 5am, waiting for her father to return from music performances.
“I would stay awake, listen for his car, and open the door to let him inside,” she recalled.
Despite returning home tired from long performances, Prince Nico Mbarga would brighten up whenever he found his daughter waiting for him.
His international music career also brought special treats for Estelle. She recalled how her father would return from overseas trips with chocolates, which were uncommon at the time.
“He made sure I felt like the most special girl in the world,” she said.
But the happy memories were shattered when tragedy struck.
Estelle was still a teenager and in secondary school when she returned home one afternoon to the devastating news that her father had died.
The loss, she said, left her heartbroken and unable to eat for days.
“When the day of his funeral came, it turned into a huge carnival,” she recalled, describing how thousands of mourners filled the compound and surrounding streets, singing his songs and dancing to celebrate his life.
Yet, amid the massive crowd, Estelle felt completely alone.
“As I stood there, I looked at the crowd of people and saw none of them. A greater part of me was already gone with him, and I felt completely empty inside,” she said.
Years have since passed, and Estelle said she now looks back with gratitude to God as she and her siblings have grown and continued with their lives.
But the legacy of Prince Nico Mbarga, she stressed, has not ended.
His music is living on through Rocafiljazz, now led by her younger brothers, Nico Mbarga Jnr and Phils Mbarga.
The siblings, she said, are determined to take their father’s music to audiences around the world once again.
“We are on a mission to take our father’s music around the world all over again,” Estelle said, inviting fans to join the family on the journey of keeping the legendary musician’s sound and legacy alive.
For a generation that knew Prince Nico Mbarga as the voice behind “Sweet Mother,” his daughter’s account offers a deeply personal reminder that behind the legendary performer was also a devoted father whose greatest audience may have been the family waiting for him at home.
