Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has disclosed the reason behind his late father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s decision to marry 27 women in one day.
In 1978, Fela, the pioneer of Afrobeats, made headlines with his bold move to marry 27 women in a single ceremony. Speaking on the ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ podcast via Skype, Seun Kuti explained that his father took this step to defend the honor and dignity of his female dancers and band members.
“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 and dancers. They all lived together with my dad, but the media started calling them prostitutes,” Seun Kuti said.
“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 Kuti also revealed that a biopic about Fela is currently in the works.
