Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician, composer, and political activist who was known for pioneering the Afrobeat genre. He was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1938 and was the son of a Christian minister and a feminist activist. Fela studied music in London and then returned to Nigeria in the 1960s to start his music career.
Fela was a talented multi-instrumentalist who fused traditional African music with elements of jazz, funk, and soul to create the Afrobeat sound. He often used his music to comment on social and political issues, including corruption, poverty, and oppression. Fela’s lyrics were often critical of the Nigerian government and he was frequently arrested and harassed by authorities.
Despite the persecution he faced, Fela remained a vocal advocate for human rights and an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government. He formed his own political party, the Movement of the People, and even ran for president in 1979. Fela’s music and activism inspired generations of Nigerians and he remains an icon of African music and political resistance.
In 1978, Fela married 27 wives in one day. You wouldn’t worry about this if you knew his nickname. He was popularly called “Abami Eda” (strange creature). No wonder he acted strange. In 1977, he named his abode and its immediate environ in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, “Kalakuta Republic”.
As a result of frequent incarceration and attacks on him, his band members scattered and turned homeless. And in an attempt to keep them together, Fela tied the knot with 27 women as wives. He gave a piece of paper to his female band members asking for the names of those who would like to marry him. All 27 female band members put down their names and gave their consent for the marriage. Fela married all 27 women on February 20th, 1978, at the Parisona Hotel in Anthony, Lagos, with the blessings of 12 Ifa priests. Some parents of the women allegedly objected to the marriage, but Fela married the women to protect and keep them together.
The marriage ceremony was attended by Fela’s families, friends, and other band members. During the ceremony, Fela gave a short speech, pressed Naira notes on his new wives’ foreheads, and gave them marriage certificates.
After the marriage, Fela took his 27 wives to Ghana for their honeymoon. However, in 1986, shortly after his release from prison, Fela divorced all 27 wives, claiming that marriage brings jealousy; though they were not forced to leave his house after the divorce, as some of them still lived with him until his death in 1997
