Skip to main content

In 1978, the pioneer of Afrobeats, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, married 27 women in one day.

In 1978, the pioneer of Afrobeats, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, married 27 women in one day. 


This should not be strange to those who know the life and style of the Nigerian music legend nicknamed Abami Eda (strange creature).

Many of Fela’s band members became homeless after the devastating soldier attack on Fela’s commune (Kalakuta Republic) in 1977. In order to keep them together, Fela decided to do the unusual.

He gave a piece of paper to his female band members requesting the names of those that would like to marry him; the entire twenty-seven female band members put down their names.

After getting their consent, Fela Kuti married the 27 women on the 20th of February, 1978, at the Parisona Hotel in Anthony, Lagos, with the blessings of twelve Ifa priests. It was alleged that some parents of the ladies objected the marriage.

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 marriage ceremony, Fela rendered a short speech, pressed naira notes on his new wives’ foreheads and gave them marriage certificates. Fela embraced a rotation system of 12 wives at a time. After the marriage, Fela took his 27 wives to Ghana for honeymoon.

However, in 1986, shortly after his release from prison, Fela Kuti divorced his 27 wives on the claim that marriage brings jealousy. 

It should be noted that they were not forced to leave his house after the divorce; some lived with him till his death in 1997.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE LEGEND OF TRAPPER NELSON.

THE LEGEND OF TRAPPER NELSON. As you ride up the Loxahatchee River from its mouth in Jupiter, the canopy of slash pines and cabbage palms eventually starts to close in on you. Wildlife hides in the gnarled thickets of mangrove.  Everything about this place feels prehistoric. The turns become more and more hairpin, deceiving and disorienting you, as turtles and alligators eye you wearily before slipping beneath the murky water. Nearly eight miles up the northwest fork of the river, a weathered, wooden boathouse juts out into the dark water: the first sign of human existence seen for miles.  Alongside it is a dock that leads through a bamboo thicket into what was once the heart of wild Florida: Trapper Nelson’s homestead, zoo and jungle garden. The biggest attraction, though, was Trapper himself. Known as Tarzan of the Loxahatchee, he’d wrestle alligators, trap wildcats, and dazzle guests with his infallible good looks and stories of the wild.   He was a man who lived witho...

During the Vietnam War, one of the most dangerous jobs was undertaken by a select few known as "tunnel rats."

During the Vietnam War, one of the most dangerous jobs was undertaken by a select few known as "tunnel rats." These unsung heroes were American, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers specially trained as combat engineers, who crawled through Viet Cong underground tunnels to perform perilous covert search and destroy missions.⁠ ⁠ Tunnel rats gently prodded for armed mines in order to disarm them — and prayed that they survived with both their legs intact. Most men were volunteers and tended to be of smaller stature, making it easier for them to maneuver through the cramped subterranean spaces Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

A Waffen SS soldier belonging to "Der Füger" SS Division walks ammo up to the front lines during the invasion of France during May, 1940.

A Waffen SS soldier belonging to "Der Füger" SS Division walks ammo up to the front lines during the invasion of France during May, 1940.  The Waffen SS played a crucial role in the invasion of France, they were the spearhead of the infantry.  The Waffen-SS quickly gained themselves a reputation for being ruthless and effective killers on the battlefield. Civilians and combatants alike for their effectiveness and brutality.  They used this fear as a weapon and manipulation tool convincing many that the Germans were the right nation and they had better futures there.  This fear also gave them great control over the population and allowed them to do whatever they wanted which included rape, murder, and executions.  Since they were the most fit and capable soldiers in the entire Wehrmacht the were used as the poster-boy for the German army which gave them even more of a false ego.  Many of their songs like "SS Marschiet in Feindesland" glorified their brutal a...