SHOCKING THINGS NO ONE KNEW ABOUT FELA --- WIDOW, LAIDE REVEALS

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afro beat music, human rights activist and political commentator. The truth is that a lot of people thought they knew much about this astonishing individual’s private life but one of the wives of Fela, Laide Kuti, (Nee Babayale), recently revealed some shocking details no one has ever revealed about the late legend. Speaking on a TVC Live programme, Your View, the woman said Fela got married to his much talked about 27 wives in order to compensate the earlier married wives of his who were brutalised by the government of the then Military ruler, Olusegun Obasanjo. Laide, who was a DJ in 1974, stated that they were severely dealt with by the military government and disclosed that she would not accept any form of apology except monetary. She said Fela’s household lost several properties in the attack. According to her, as far as the Fela’s legacy lives on, the family remains united. City People brings you the excerpts of the interview below:

How did you meet Fela?
I met Fela at a Sunday Jump in 1974. The shrine was opposite my house and some of my friends were selling things in front of the place, and we were just there doing our own thing, while Baba was inside doing his own thing as usual. It was the boys that made us know him well. They came to buy cigarettes from my friends, and wanted to take candy sweets for free, and I was a kind of person that would never allow anybody take me or the people around me for a ride. I protested, and the next thing I knew, was that a hot slap landed on the cheek of my friend selling the goods, and that’s how we started fighting, that Fela had to come out. We narrated what happened to him, so Fela took the boy that slapped my friend inside and punished him. After that, Fela sent one of his drivers to me that anytime am available, I should see him.

At first, I didn’t want to go in because my people must not see me in that kind of environment. I was 16 years old as at then but I had a big stature. When I got in, Fela said I should follow any of the cars to his house, but I didn’t go. That was how I knew Fela liked me, and I liked him too, so every Sunday jump, I was always going there, well-dressed. Whenever he was going in, he always looked in our direction. However, to cut the long story short, we eventually began dating.

What was your parent’s reaction when they knew you were in Kalakuta?
It was a tug-of war. My father never wanted it, because he thought people who were around Fela were hooligans, but it was a lie. Anybody who was a hooligan then was either a passer-by, or just a shrine-goer, and not part of Fela’s inner caucus, because Fela never wanted trouble from any of his people. Fela fought with his music, but when people heard the lyrics of his songs, they thought he was a hooligan, which he was not. I was actually on break from school for two weeks when I decided to go and spend some time with Fela, but when I got there, I really enjoyed myself and didn’t want to go back to school again though I was in Form Four then. My parents went looking for me in school, but the Reverend mothers and sisters there then said they didn’t know my whereabout even though all took to school were still in the hostel. They began searching everywhere, but they never thought I could be in Fela’s place. It was actually Fela’s friend, who happened to be my in-law, Uncle Tayo Mott, that informed my parents that I was with Fela. He was a very close friend to Fela and was also his DJ.

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.