Seun also argues that, contrary to speculation that Fela infected his wives with HIV, the late singer was actually the victim.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nigerian singer and instrumentalist Seun Kuti has revealed that his father, the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, allowed his wives to have multiple partners during his lifetime.
He made the claim during a recent Instagram livestream, stating that the Afrobeat founder did not stop his wives from having affairs with other men.
On 20 February 1978, Fela made headlines after marrying 27 women in a single traditional ceremony in Lagos.
Reflecting on this, Seun argued that his father’s decision to allow his wives to have other lovers was his greatest mistake.
According to Seun, some of the women eventually contracted HIV from their other partners and subsequently infected the late singer.
ALSO READ: Actress Damilola Oni alleges male fans send her nude pictures
The 43-year-old artist further noted that, contrary to widespread speculation that Fela was the one who passed the virus to his wives, he was in fact the victim.
Addressing the misconception, Seun said: “Fela made many mistakes. One of the mistakes he made—one day, I saw a video of a lady online asking why people are praising Fela’s legacy despite him giving women HIV and dying of AIDS.
“I said, ‘Oh, Fela, you see yourself?’ If Fela had been a traditional man, he would still be alive. I will tell you something about him that you might not have known: Fela’s women all had other men.
“Fela did not keep his women to himself. He believed that just as he was free to sleep with many women, the women were also free to meet other men. His only law was that they shouldn’t bring those men to his house.
“My father didn’t leave his house to sleep with other women outside, so it was his wives who brought HIV home to him. Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. But Fela was a man who was on the side of humanity.”
