Michael Franti and His Son Cappy on What Absence Costs
Michael Franti met his biological father at 22. The man never embraced him, and introduced him to other people as a friend.
“He always introduced me to other people as his friend and never as his son.”
Jon Vroman sat down with Michael backstage on tour to talk about that, about the adoptive father who raised him, and about what his own touring cost his children. Partway through, Michael’s 37-year-old son Cappy joins the conversation and says it plainly.
The father who called him a friend, not a son
The relationship never resolved the way films suggest these things do. His biological father died of COVID during the pandemic, and the family had to hold that loss alongside everything that was never said.
What Michael takes from it is not forgiveness exactly, but a working assumption about people:
“I believe that there’s no one that you wouldn’t love if you knew their story.”
The adoptive father who changed at 66
Michael was raised by the Frantis. Mr. Franti was austere, sarcastic, an alcoholic, and offered almost no warmth for the whole of Michael’s childhood.
Then at 66 he had a stroke, and afterward he was a different man. Kind, expressive, quick to tears, willing to talk.
“He turned into like a butterfly after 68 years of being in a cocoon. And it taught me that anyone can change at any point in their life.”
“I haven’t changed. I’ve always felt this way. I could just never express it.”
What Cappy says about the touring years
This is the part of the conversation most interviews with a touring musician never get to, because the child is not usually in the room.
Cappy is candid about what his father’s absence on the road cost him, and about the repair the two of them are in now, collaborating on music and meditation together. Neither of them pretends the years back.
Michael’s answer to what a parent owes a child is short:
“The biggest thing that a parent can do is let their child know that your family and whatever happens, like, I’m here for you.”
Ease of heart instead of happiness
Michael does not aim at happiness, his own or an audience’s:
“My goal is never to find happiness or to try to create happiness for other people. My goal is always through my music to create ease of heart so that whatever is there can pass through.”
The same idea shows up in how he reads anger, in himself and in the culture:
“If it was really about what was happening on the outside, our empathy would show up as softness, as kindness, as acts of service towards people who need our help, rather than just raging.”
Questions about Michael Franti and his family
Who is Cappy Franti?
Cappy is Michael Franti’s son. He was 37 at the time of this conversation and joins his father on the episode to talk openly about what Michael’s years of touring cost him, and about the repair the two are working on now through music and meditation together.
Was Michael Franti adopted?
Yes. He was raised by adoptive parents, the Frantis, and met his biological father at 22. That father never acknowledged him as a son, introducing him to others as a friend instead.
What does Michael Franti say about his father?
He describes his adoptive father as austere, sarcastic and alcoholic through his childhood, with almost no warmth. After a stroke at 66 the man became kind and expressive, which Michael took as evidence that anyone can change at any point in their life.
What does Michael Franti say about being a touring dad?
He does not defend it. The episode includes his son saying directly what the absence cost, and Michael sitting with that rather than explaining it away. His conclusion is that what a child most needs to know is that you are there for them no matter what happens.
What does Michael Franti mean by ease of heart?
It is his alternative to chasing happiness. Rather than trying to make himself or an audience happy, he uses music to create enough ease that whatever a person is carrying can move through them instead of staying stuck.
“My music, the way that I want it to show up, is to be able to express the full rainbow of human emotions so that wherever somebody is, they can find that ease of heart.” - Michael Franti Share on XResources:
- MichaelFranti.com
- Follow Michael Franti on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | X/Twitter
- Michael Franti – Wikipedia
- Television The Drug of a Nation – The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
- Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti & Spearhead
- I Hope I Come Back as a Song – Michael Franti & Spearhead
- Cappy Franti on Instagram
- SoulshineBali.com
Michael Franti Bio
Michael Franti is a singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. Michael is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, blending hip hop with a variety of other music styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock.
He’s also known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including the Beatnigs and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.
He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues, and he is especially an advocate for peace in the Middle East.
Do It For The Love, is a non-profit project he founded in 2013 with his wife Sara Agah Franti, with a mission to bring individuals with life-threatening illnesses and trauma, children with severe challenges, and wounded veterans to live concerts in the goal to inspire joy through the healing power of music.
His foundation has bridged connections between fans of all ages with their musical heroes, with the participation of notable artists such as Billie Eilish, JoJo Siwa, Pentatonix, and of course, himself.
Michael is the owner of Soulshine Bali, a yoga resort hotel in the southern part of Ubud, Bali, which is considered “Michael Franti’s oasis of yoga, soul, and rock n’ roll.”
He’s married to his lovely wife Sara Agah Franti and has 3 children: Cappy, Ade and Taj.
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