Maverick singer Seun Kuti has made a startling claim regarding the death of his father, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Speaking during a recent Instagram livestream, Seun alleged that his father did not restrict his many wives from engaging in affairs with other men. He argued that this liberal approach to marriage was actually one of the late singer’s greatest mistakes.
Contrary to widespread public perception, Seun maintained that Fela was the victim rather than the perpetrator in the spread of the disease within his household. He challenged the narrative that Fela was responsible for infecting his women, suggesting instead that the virus entered the Kalakuta Republic through external partners.
The liberal ideology of the Kalakuta Republic
Seun explained that Fela’s philosophy on freedom extended to his marital life and his views on gender equality. He claimed that because Fela believed in his own freedom to be with multiple women, he granted his wives the same liberty to meet other men. According to Seun, the only standing rule was that these external partners were not allowed inside the family home.
The singer noted that if his father had been a “traditional man” with a more restrictive view of marriage, he might still be alive today. He insisted that Fela’s commitment to his beliefs meant he did not enforce exclusivity, which ultimately created a vulnerability in his health security.
Correcting the narrative on Fela’s health legacy
During the livestream, Seun reacted to a video he saw online where a lady questioned why Fela’s legacy is celebrated despite the AIDS controversy. He argued that his father rarely left the house to sleep with women elsewhere, as most of his partners lived with him. This, he claims, supports his theory that the virus was brought into the house by others.
“I said, ‘Oh, Fela you see yourself?’” Seun remarked while addressing the criticism. He portrayed his father as a man whose dedication to the “side of humanity” and personal freedom led to his tragic downfall. Despite these flaws, he maintained that Fela’s contributions to society outweigh the mistakes he made in his personal life.
Remembering the historic 1978 mass wedding
The discussion brings back memories of one of the most controversial moments in Nigerian entertainment history. On February 20, 1978, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti famously married 27 women in a single traditional ceremony held in Lagos. This act was seen as both a political statement and a rejection of Western marital norms.
Fela eventually died in August 1997 from complications related to AIDS, a fact that was publicly announced by his brother, the late Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti. Since then, the circumstances surrounding his illness have been a subject of intense debate. Seun’s latest comments add a new layer of complexity to the ongoing conversation about the Afrobeat king’s lifestyle and his final days.
