The story of Fela Kuti's wives and the legendary musician’s radical love life
Fela Kuti's wives have garnered widespread attention, due to the strong and enduring relationships he shared with them. Fela married his first wife, Remilekun Taylor, in 1961. He later sparked marriage controversies in the late 1970s after he married 27 more women in a single wedding ceremony.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Kuti's first wife was Remilekun Taylor. The duo tied the knot in January 1961 in London, England, United Kingdom.
- Fela exchanged marriage vows with 27 more women in February 1978 the same day. Most of his wives were dancers, singers, and composers in his band, Egypt 80.
- He divorced his 27 wives in 1986, claiming that marriage brings jealousy.
Fela Kuti's profile summary
| Full name | Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti |
| Famous as | Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 15 October 1938 |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Date of death | 2 August 1997 |
| Age | 58 years old (as of July 1997) |
| Place of birth | Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria |
| Place of death | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Ethnicity | Black (Yoruba) |
| Religion | Indigenous Yoruba |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in feet | 5'7'' |
| Height in centimetre | 170 |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Father | Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti |
| Mother | Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti |
| Siblings | 3 |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Ex-wives | 28 |
| Children | 8 |
| Education | Abeokuta Grammar School, Trinity College of Music |
| Profession | Musician, multi-instrumentalist, political activist |
| Net worth | $5 million |
| @felakutiofficial | |
| TikTok | @felakutiofficial |
| @felakuti |
Get to know Fela Kuti's wives
The legendary Nigerian musician was married to 28 women in his lifetime. Get to know more about Fela Kuti's wives' photos and stories.
Remilekun Taylor
Remilekun Taylor was Fela Kuti's first wife. She was an English-born woman of Nigerian and African-American ancestry.
The duo exchanged marriage vows on 7 January 1961, in London, England, United Kingdom. Taylor died in January 2002 in Lagos, Nigeria, at the age of 60.
Source: UGC
Fela Kuti's 27 wives and their wedding
In early 1978, Fela became a polygamist after he exchanged marriage vows with 27 more women in one day. The majority of the 27 women that the Nigerian entertainer got married to were all members of his band, Egypt 80, serving as either dancers, composers, or singers.
After obtaining their consent, the Abeokuta native and the 27 women walked down the aisle on 20 February 1978 in Lagos, Nigeria, in a traditional Yoruba wedding ceremony.
According to the Nairaland Forum, the political activist married these women as a way of responding to the slander from authorities that he was kidnapping ladies. The names of Fela Kuti's 27 wives are:
Source: Facebook
- Kikelomo Oseyni
- Sewaa Kuti
- Aduni Idowu
- Fehintola Anikulapo Kuti
- Funmi Kuti
- Bose Anikulapo Kuti
- Omolara Shosanya
- Kevwe Oghomienor
- Lara Anikulapo Kuti
- Suru Eriomola
- Ihase Anikulapo Kuti
- Shade Shodeinde
- Folake Oladejo
- Najite Kuti
- Omolola Osaeti
- Emaruagheru Osawe
- Tokunbo Akran
- Damiregba Anikulapo Kuti
- Laide Anikulapo-Kuti
- Adeola Williams
- Adejonwo Iyabode Oguntiro
- Tejumade Adebiyi
- Alake Anikulapo Kuti
- Ronke Edason
- Omowunmi Afesumo
- Omowunmi Oyedele
- Naa Lamiley
Fela Kuti's polygamy controversy
Source: Getty Images
Kuti's lifestyle choices like his approach towards polygamy and sexuality still spark controversies to date. For example, according to Ghana Web, the Nigerian singer adopted a rotation system of keeping only 12 wives at a time.
Additionally, according to Legacy Chass, Kuti used to confess publicly in interviews that he was proud of his ability to sleep with at least two of his wives every day.
What happened to Fela Kuti's wives?
The Nigerian multi-instrumentalist divorced his 27 wives in 1986 due to jealousy and tensions within the marriage. However, the Nigerian singer did not evict any of his 27 ex-wives from his residence after he divorced them. As a result, some of Fela's ex-wives lived with him until his death on 2 August 1997.
FAQs
- Who is Fela Kuti? Fela was a legendary musician, multi-instrumentalist, and political activist from Nigeria. He rose to stardom after releasing several hit songs such as Zombie, Water No Get Enemy, and Coffin For Head Of State.
- Where was Fela Kuti born? He was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria on 15 October 1938.
- How old was Fela Kuti when he died? The Nigerian musician died at the age of 58 on 2 August 1997 in Lagos Nigeria from heart failure related to HIV/AIDS infection.
- How many wives did Fela Kuti have? Kuti married 28 women in his lifetime. He was famous for marrying 27 women in February 1978 in a single wedding ceremony.
- Who was Fela Kuti's first wife? The Water No Get Enemy was first married to Remilekun Taylor. The pair tied the knot on 7 January 1961.
- Did Fela Kuti divorce his 27 wives? The popular musician divorced his 27 wives in 1986 claiming that marriage brings jealousy.
- Who are Fela Kuti's children? His children are Omoyeni Anikulapo-Kuti, Olufela Olufemi, Sola, Kunle, Motunrayo, Omosalewa, and Oluseun.
- What was Fela Kuti's political activism in Nigeria known for? Kuti is remembered for championing radical honesty, anti-imperialism, and Pan-Africanism, through his political activism.
Fela Kuti was famously married to several wives, including Remilekun Taylor, Kikelomo Oseyni, Sewaa, and Aduni Idowu. He drew widespread attention in 1978 when he married 27 women in a single ceremony, many of whom were members of his band, Egypt 80.
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