Madonna's son reunited with father he does not recognize

Mar 31, 2009, 8:55 GMT

Madonna -The 50-year-old singer arrived in the African nation yesterday (29.03.09) with her children Lourdes, 12, Rocco, eight, and David, three, who was also adopted from Malawi. David\'s father Yohane was also left shocked after learning they would need an interpreter to communicate because David has forgotten his native tongue.© Daniel Locke / PR Photos

Madonna's three-year-old adopted son doesn't recognize his father.

David - who has been living with Madonna since 2006 - was reunited with his dad Yohane Banda in Malawi yesterday (30.03.09) and asked: "Who are you?"

Yohane was also left shocked after learning they would need an interpreter to communicate because David has forgotten his native tongue.

He said: "He asked me in English who I was and what I do. When I told him, 'I am your daddy,' he looked surprised.

"We spent three hours together. He played with my nose and although he did not know who I was he asked me lots of questions.

"David is quite chatty and intelligent. He asked whether I ride horses but I told him horses are for the rich. He asked me why I am poor."

Yohane - who put David in an orphanage when his mother died shortly after childbirth - misses his son but is glad Madonna adopted him.

He said: "I sometimes shudder to think what would have happened to David if Madonna had not rescued him. I am really grateful to her for saving him from a possible early death.

"It's amazing how David has grown. I can't believe he is the same small and sickly baby."

David and Yohane's family reunion took place at the Kumbali Lodge Hotel, where Madonna and her other children Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, eight, are staying while the singer finalises her adoption of a second Malawian child.

The 50-year-old star and her family flew into the African nation on Sunday (29.03.09) to sign the final papers to adopt four-year-old orphan Mercy James.

Madonna attended a court hearing in the country's capital Lilongwe yesterday morning (30.03.09).

She was expecting to take Mercy back to America immediately, but the judge delayed a ruling until Friday (03.04.09).

Madonna said it was "amazing" to be back in Malawi but refused to answer questions about the adoption, saying her critics should "mind their own business".

The singer angered human rights groups when her adoption of David was finalised in 2008. They accused her of using her fame to manipulate Malawi's adoption laws.