Why Fela married 27 women in one day – Seun Kuti

Seun Kuti, son of Fela Kuti, the legendary Afrobeat musician, has explained why his father married 27 women in a day.

In 1978, Fela made headlines for simultaneously tying the knot with 27 women.

During a recent chat with Fresh Off The Boat podcast, Seun explained that the mass wedding was a response to intense media scrutiny.

He stated that Fela’s female dancers and backup singers, who resided with him, were being labelled as “prostitutes” by the press.

To protect their honour and dignity, Seun narrated, his father proposed marriage to the 27 women.

“My father was under immense media propaganda. He was very scrutinised,” he said.

“And most of it was directed to 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, to preserve their honour 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 is an Afrobeat singer.

He is known for his controversial stance on socio-political issues in Nigeria and beyond.