Seun Kuti, an Afrobeat musician, has spoken out about his father Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s (the genre’s founder) decision to marry 27 women all in one day.
In 1978, Fela made the bold decision to marry 27 ladies all in one day, as reported by the DAILY POST.
In an interview with the Skype podcast “Fresh Off The Boat,” Seun Kuti revealed that his father, in an effort to protect the honor and dignity of the ladies he was living with—dancers and band members—his father married 27 of them on a single day.
“The media was using tremendous propaganda on my father,” he stated. He was under intense scrutiny.
The majority of it was aimed at the ladies in his life, specifically his female dancers and backup vocalists. They were all roommates with my dad until the media began to label them as prostitutes.
So, my dad wanted to protect their honor and dignity, so he asked if they would be willing to be his brides. They all said yes. In that way, the union came to fruition.
He went on to say that filming has begun on Fela’s biopic.