#fela kuti wives

[mymusicbias]

[kemetic-dreams]

THE UNTOLD STORY OF HOW AND WHY FELA KUTI MARRIED 27 WOMEN ON THE SAME DAY IN 1978 (A must read)

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.

[afrotumble]

[nixmachiavellian]

1 of the 27 wives of Fela Kuti

[madstreetz]

Fela Kuti Biography, Career, Wives, Family, Politics, Death, Networth

Fela Kuti Biography, Career, Wives, Family, Politics, Death, Networth Who is Fela? Fela Anikulapo Kuti, often referred to simply as Fela Kuti or Fela, was a Nigerian musician, composer, political activist, and pioneer of the Afrobeat genre. He was born on October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and passed away on August 2, 1997, in Lagos, Nigeria. Fela’s Career Fela Kuti’s early musical…

[pleasegetadiary]

Fela Kuti had like 20 wives

[godalmite]

Why Fela Kuti Married 27 Women on the Same Day in 1978

Why Fela Kuti Married 27 Women on the Same Day in 1978

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…

[edowayeye]

omg!!! the kuti family on my page! i was literally listening to colonial mentality by fela kuti when this popped up! im nigerian and fela kuti is my family’s favorite artist.

funmilayo was actually killed by the nigerian government, and fela kuti made an album called “coffin for head of state” and took his mother’s coffin to government buildings saying that his mom was so competent even her dead body would be a better ruler than the current people in power.

this song tells the story of when the government raided his home and killed him mom, and how nigeria is so obsessed with colonial religion (islam and christianity) instead of taking care of ourselves. its one if my favorite songs of his. the lyrics are (basically, using american english not nigerian pidgin that he sings in)

“through jesus christ out lord (amen, amen, amen)/allah wakubar mohammed salamelakum allah (amen, amen, amen)/ the pastor’s house is so fine, and my people are in such poor surroundings while he dresses so fine/ they give only the pastors respect/even though the pastors do bad bad bad things”

anyway, sorry to make this post about a man’s achievements, because he actually was very misogynistic. he had like 10 wives and a song called “lady” about really bad gender roles. but his music is really interesting and clearly influenced by his even more amazing mother, funmilayo!!

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (October 25, 1900 – April 13, 1978)

Educator, political campaigner, women's rights activist, and the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria.

Ransome-Kuti established multiple women's rights unions, including the Abeokuta Women's Union, Nigerian Women's Union, and Federation of Nigerian Women's Societies. From 1963 until her passing, she served as president of the Nigerian branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. She demanded better representation of women in local governing bodies and an end to unfair taxes on market women, and additionally arranged literacy classes for low-income women.

[demmyfuji]

[rodpower78]

Fela Kuti with 7 of his 28 wives, c. 1980s

[c-40]

A-T-3 020 The The - Giant

The The's debut album Soul Mining arrives at the other end of 1983. It has the rerecorded version of Uncertain Smile on it, here's the original (which I prefer) A-T-2 095, and the single This Is The Day. As it is Friday though I'm going with Giant off the album, it's virtually an electro track (with We Will Rock You drums). DJ Food did an alright version of Giant with Matt Johnson providing vocals in 2012

The cover artwork is one of the wives of Fela Kuti smoking a joint painted by Matt’s brother Andy Johnson Dog, I wonder if that's why it was changed for the US market?

and because it's so good

[afrotumble]

[itswadestore]

Fela Kuti and his wives by Gilles Verdili, 1978

[raworldaddress]

Fela Kuti’s 27 Wives and and an interview with him on love and music for revolution.

[scripttorture]

Hey there. I was wondering if there was anything on torturing someone's family members? (In writing I mean, not IRL). For instance, if a character is the universe's equivalent of a superhero or law enforcement or something, but the torturers couldn't get them for some reason, so they go for family instead. (Or perhaps they know the original person is used to torture, so they go for someone who might not be). How could I write this? Would I look/research into hostage situations? Ransom?

This definitely happens. Organisations and torturers do target family members, friends and sometimes whole communities to ‘punish’ an individual.

 It doesn’t necessarily happen because torturers can’t access the person they intend to. A lot of the accounts I have involve both the individual and their family/friends/tribe being targetted.

 This is one of those questions where I feel like in order to get to the heart of the issue and increase understanding it’s better if I actually…. Ignore some of the questions. Because I don’t think hostage situations or ransom are relevant here.

 If you’re willing to look at real cases I have a starting point right here: Fela Kuti the father of Afrobeat. He was arrested and tortured multiple times by the Nigerian government. In one of the attacks his mother was murdered. His whole family was targetted, as were many of his friends, supporters and people who lived on his land.

 I can’t give you a definitive reason why torturers and criminals committing human rights abuses, behave like this. I’m not a psychologist.

 My impression from reading accounts (as a non-expert) is that it isn’t rational or logical. Targetting someone’s family serves no purpose.

 But then neither does torture.

 Torturers often present it as a ‘punishment’ for the individual. For instance security forces who target the wives and mothers of suspects often present it as a form of retaliation, as if the woman they’re actually hurting is an extension of her male family member rather then a person in her own right.

 I have seen cases like this where abused family members were released in exchange for money. But I wouldn’t compare it to a ransom scenario where money is the main motivation. Instead it seems more like- well old fashioned bribery in an institution where the discipline and oversight are already lacking (otherwise torture wouldn’t be happening).

 More often I read about this scenario being used to try and force confessions or surrender if the individual they’re after isn’t present.

 But most often? There’s no motivation, just additional people who happened to be around at the time and are therefore ‘legitimate targets’.

 If you’re planning to use something like this as a way to force a hero to surrender/stand down it’s worth remembering that torturers don’t always keep their word. A promise that the family will be released will not necessarily be kept, and it might be made after the family have already been murdered.

 Sometimes the people who are tortured aren’t actually relatives, they’re mistaken for them.

 And I’m not sure what else to say without more specific questions. I guess the best way to wrap this up is with the reminder that torturers are not well organised, well informed or logical.

 They lash out. They make mistakes. They take the opportunity to victimise more people just because they had that opportunity.

 There’s nothing wrong with the scenario you’ve presented here and if you have any further questions the askbox is open. :)

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