Seun Kuti, the son of the late Afrobeats pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has shared the reasons behind his father’s decision to marry 27 women. These women included his backup singers and dancers, all in one day.

In 1978, Fela Anikulapo Kuti made headlines worldwide by marrying 27 women in a single day. The act was seen as extremely bold and unconventional. This group marriage was not just a spectacle but had deeper motivations behind it.

Seun Kuti explained that Fela’s female dancers and band members were frequently subjected to harsh media scrutiny and were often labelled as prostitutes. This negative portrayal deeply concerned Fela, who has always challenged societal norms and media propaganda. To counter these damaging accusations and preserve the honour and dignity of these women, Fela decided to marry all 27 of them at once.

Seun elaborated that this act was Fela’s way of showing solidarity with his band members and dancers.

It affirmed their importance and value in his life and work. By marrying them, Fela aimed to protect them from societal stigma and ensure they were respected.

In a recent interview on the “Fresh Off The Boat” podcast via Skype, Seun shared these insights. He highlighted his father’s commitment to challenging societal norms and defending the people close to him. This act of marrying 27 women was another example of Fela’s rebellious spirit and desire to stand up against injustice and societal prejudice.

“My father was under immense media propaganda. He was very scrutinised. And most of it were directed to the women that were 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 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.”

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He wrote, “With over 5 decades of committed practice in Nollywood, I am indeed most grateful to Almighty God for His unending blessings over my career and family. Actor only gets tired, actor does not retire. Get ready for what is coming soon.”

 

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Afrobeats singer Mayorkun has responded to claims made by social media influencer Nicki Dabarbie. She accused him and his colleague, Skiibii (Abbey Elias), of attempting to use her for a ritual.

On April 19, 2024, Nicki Dabarbie accused Mayorkun and Skiibii of plotting to use her for a ‘money ritual’. She supported her claims with pictures and videos describing the incident.

Mayorkun took to his X page to deny all the allegations. He stated that he had never met Nicki Dabarbie and was unaware of her existence before the allegations.

Mayorkun mentioned that he initially wanted to let the court handle the situation, but the spread of false information prompted him to speak out. He stressed that he did not know Dabarbie and warned fans about the dangers of cancellation culture and its potential harm to his life and career.

He wrote:

“You know, I was going to let this remain as a court case but when I checked the comments under some of the blogs where these ridiculous allegations were posted, I was quickly reminded of how gullible most people are on the internet and how they are ready to run along, spreading any negative news without any form of clarity.

“Just for the record, I never met that person on the said day, still never seen that person till this day, never knew about that person’s existence not until those allegations came up.. yet she claimed I put ‘something’ in her drink. A lot of people believed that story, and you think I’ll let this libelous claim fly? No!”

You know, I was going to let this remain as a court case but when I checked the comments under some of the blogs where these ridiculous allegations were posted, I was quickly reminded of how gullible most people are on the internet and how they are ready to run along, spreading…

— MAYORKUN (@Mayorkun) May 15, 2024

He added,

“I wanna re-instate, I have never seen this person before, even as I am typing this! I still haven’t set my eyes on this person.. Like, what else can I say? How else can I prove this? There’s no need for me to ask for an apology where I won’t get any. I just needed to say this publicly and get it off my chest.. cos if it was a case of ‘cancellation’ as many people are quick to do, I for don go back to dey find work for bank.”

He stated that he would pursue additional charges against her, even though she is currently in prison on unrelated charges.

Earlier, Mayorkun had threatened to file a N1 billion lawsuit against Nicki Dabarbie.

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