Why my father, Fela married 27 wives same day – Seun Kuti

Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has explained why his late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the pioneer of the Afrobeats genre, married 27 women in a single day.

In a 1978 event that drew significant attention, Fela married 27 women at once, a move that was both bold and controversial. During an interview on the ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ podcast via Skype, Seun discussed the circumstances surrounding this decision.

Seun revealed that his father was frequently targeted by media propaganda, which often extended to the women in his life. The media labeled Fela’s female dancers and band members, who lived with him, as prostitutes.

To counter these damaging accusations and preserve the women’s honor and dignity, Fela proposed to them. They agreed to marry him, leading to the mass wedding. Seun explained, “My father was under immense media propaganda. He was very scrutinized, and most of it was directed at the women in his life—his female backup singers, dancers. They all lived together with my dad, but the media started calling them prostitutes. So my dad, in order to preserve their honor and dignity, asked them if they would choose to be his brides so nobody would call them names anymore, and they all agreed. That was how the marriage happened.”

Seun also mentioned that a biopic of Fela’s life is currently in development.